-Business Standard This is a move that has been hailed by economists and policy-watchers as it makes budgeting a more transparent process Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in this year’s Budget speech, had said that she would discontinue extra-budgetary resources (EBR) funding for the Food Corporation of India, in a continued bid to clean up the central government’s balance sheet and end below-the-line accounting. As a result, the EBR provision for 2021-22...

-The Hindu The company’s registration of the variety has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority. Two years after PepsiCo India provoked outrage by suing nine Gujarati farmers for allegedly infringing patent rights by growing its registered potato variety, the company’s registration has been revoked by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights’ Authority (PPV&FRA). “This judgement is a historic victory for the farmers of India. It...

-Down to Earth Judgement against Pepsico potato variety sets precedent for all seed and food and beverages corporations not to transgress farmers’ seed rights and freedoms in India, experts say The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Authority December 3, 2021 revoked a PVP (plant variety protection) certificate granted to PepsiCo India Holding (PIH) on a potato variety (FL-2027) on multiple grounds.  This means that Pepsico’s Intellectual Property Right (IPR) granted...

-The Hindu Business Line Allow us to get paddy directly from farmers: millers The Union government has asked Telangana to promote the establishment of rice bran oil industry to tide over the crisis, as the recent controversy over parboiled rice procurement is set to trigger a political storm in the State. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Food has asked the State to develop capacities for the manufacture of fortified rice kernels...

When one of the three farm laws i.e., The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 was enacted last year, it was argued by its proponents that the legislation would allow the farmers to sell their produce (and the traders to purchase that produce) outside the Agricultural Produce Market Committee-APMC mandis after crop harvesting. In a way, that particular piece of legislation was enacted to end the...