-The Tribune Karnal: The state government has banned the sale, stock, distribution and use of 10 insecticides for 60 days. These insecticides are mostly used for basmati paddy. The “residual effect” of these insecticides sometimes leads to the rejection of export consignments of basmati rice. The banned insecticides include Acephate, Buprofezin, Carbendazim, Chlorpyriphos, Methamidophos, Propiconazole, Thiamethoxam, Tricylazole, Profenophos and Isoprothiolance. Last week, the Punjab Government had imposed a similar ban on 10 insecticides. The...

On February 18, 2016, India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. After its launch, the PMFBY was implemented by 21 states during kharif 2016, whereas in rabi 2016-17, 23 states and 2 UTs implemented the same. The Central Government launched the PMFBY in the kharif season of 2016 with the intention to help farmers cope with crop losses because of unseasonal and extreme weather....

-Down to Earth There were growing concerns over resistance to streptomycin and tetracycline antibiotics The registration committee (RC) under the Central insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) August 2021 approved the recommendation for phasing out the use of streptomycin and tetracycline, according to the availability of alternatives.  It has also highlighted the need for validation of available alternatives on a large scale in the field. These recommendations are made by a sub-committee formed by...

-The Tribune A farmer ends his life every 30 minutes in India. There are some who don’t end up in this pile of statistics and are saved through timely action of family and friends. Ramrao Panchleniwar, a cotton grower in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, is one such survivor. He wished to drown his financial worries in two bottles of insecticide in 2014. In this book titled after him, Ramrao’s life and near-death...

-Down to Earth Lack of planning, introduction of hybrid seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides and weed killers are responsible for decline in pulses’ cultivation Pulses have an important place in our culture. But with imports increasing every day, they are getting too expensive for the poor. As a result, malnutrition is increasing. It is not that farmers do not grow pulses here due to lack of seeds and knowledge, but there is a lack...