Agriculture is multi-functional, producing economic goods including food, feed, fibre, and fuel, as well as providing several intangible or non-tradable services to society free of cost. Non-tradable services,
The Bill on Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights, passed by the Lok Sabha recently, has been welcomed. However, activists are already warning against any dilution of its
Himachal Pradesh is set to go high-tech by having drawn an ambitious plan to cultivate bio-tea in 2000 hectares in Kangra and Chamba districts with private investment of Rs. 130 crore.
An Assistant Soil Conservation Officer of the Haflong Soil Conservation Division, Arup Rai, has developed a technology, named Modified Scientific Shifting Cultivation Technology (MOSSCULT), as an
India may fall short of milk supplies to the tune of around 20 million tonnes per year after 2005 and might have to import milk from other countries, according to a recent study by a Mumbai-based
Sri Lanka's business community appealed to the government this week to delay plans to bring back tough controls on genetically modified (GM) food on September 1. The restrictions were first
The European Commission said this week it had no scientific evidence that a brand of genetically modified soybeans - which environmental group Greenpeace wants banned - posed a health risk. The EC
The rice strain Basmati has not become the property of an American firm. No patent on the grain has been grain has been given to the firm nor can it use the word "Basmati" as a brand. Tuesday's
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued patents to only three strains of hybrid basmati grain developed by the Texas-based RiceTec Corporation, while rejecting a more sweeping claim by
India would not challenge the patent given to the American company, Ricetec, as it was confined to only a certain variants of basmati rice developed by that company and did not bar the country from
According to analysis, the reported grant of patent by the US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) to the Alvin (Texas)-based Rice Tec Inc for rice claimed to be superior to Basmati may not have too many
