-The Hindu PAU is now recommending Farmers to sow traditional non-Bt varieties of American and indigenous cotton The ineffectiveness of genetically modified (GM) cotton against the recent whitefly attack in Punjab and Haryana, which witnessed widespread protests by Farmers, has raised concern among agricultural experts and Farmers over the growing dependency on Bt cotton. They believe it is time for India to actively promote and involve public-private partnership (PPP) model in GM crop...

-PTI BHUBANESWAR: A day after chief minister Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 1,000 crore package for Farmers hit by drought conditions in 12 districts, Odisha government today identified four more districts facing water scarcity.  "Reports received from field level say that crop loss to the extent of 33 per cent and above have also been been experienced in 16 more blocks spread over four districts like Balangir, Bargargh, Jharsuguda and Nuapada. Therefore, these...

-Livemint.com The destruction of almost two-thirds of the state’s cotton crop by the whitefly has forced 15 Farmers to commit suicide, pushed hundreds of others into debt An insect has ravaged the cotton crop across Punjab’s Malwa region. The destruction of almost two-thirds of the state’s cotton crop by the whitefly has forced as many as 15 Farmers to commit suicide and pushed hundreds of others into debt. A Times of India report...

-The Hindu Far from creating dependency, evidence shows that social protection increases both on-farm and non-farm activities, strengthening livelihoods and lifting incomes Today, on World Food Day, the world has a lot to celebrate. As a global community, we’ve made real progress in fighting global hunger and poverty in recent decades. A majority of the countries monitored by the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation — 72 out of the 129 —...

-Hindustan Times Bikramganj/Nokha (Rohtas): On both sides of the highway that cuts through eastern Bihar, yellow patches have started appearing amidst acres and acres of lush green farmland, signalling the ripening of the crop. But in the state’s rice bowl, straddling at least 16 assembly constituencies, nature’s visible bounty hides the harsh reality – about failing crops due to erratic weather earlier and a paddy procurement scam which has seen the government...