Draft Seeds Bill, 2019
The revised draft Seeds Bill 2019, which the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare placed in the public domain recently for suggestions and comments, seems to be a watered down version of a draft
Seeds
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High-yielding mustard variety developed
Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University has developed a new mustard variety RH 0749 which has been identified for cultivation under timely sown, irrigated conditions in zone II comprising
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Bar GM food crops, says parliamentary panel
‘Probe how Bt brinjal seed was allowed to be commercialised’ In a major setback to the proponents of genetically modified technology in farm crops, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture on Thursday asked the government to stop all field trials and sought a bar on GM food crops (such as Bt. brinjal). The committee report, tabled in the Lok Sabha, demanded a “thorough probe” into how permission was given to commercialise Bt. brinjal seed when all evaluation tests were not carried out.
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Maha bans sale of Bt cotton seeds by Mahyco
New Delhi Maharashtra has banned the sale and distribution of the genetically modified cotton seeds of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) with immediate effect on charges of supplying inferior quality seeds, a senior state government official said on Thursday. “Mahyco has not received any official communication from the Maharashtra government about the cancellation of its license to sell Bt cotton seeds in the state,” the company said in a statement. “Mahyco has complied with all the guidelines set by the state agriculture department and has always provided required information to the agriculture department....We will address the concerns raised by the authority once we have received the official communication from the department,” the statement added.
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Parliament panel waves red flag to GM crops
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture has come down heavily against the use of genetically modified (GM) crops in the country. The Committee, which took almost three years to complete its
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Maharashtra bans Bt cotton seeds
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has banned the sale and distribution of the genetically modified Bt cotton seeds of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), a partner of US multinational Monsanto,
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UAS moots contingency crop plan to tackle drought
It emphasises growing less water-intensive crops, fodder during low rainfall and soil testing The University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) has come up with a contingency crop plan for southern Karnataka to tackle drought. UAS Vice-Chancellor Dr K Narayana Gowda said the contingency crop plan submitted to the State government lays stress on growing alternative crops and cultivating choices that are in tune with rainfall and soil fertility in the region. “The focus of the plan is on south interior Karnataka as the region accounts for a major share of State’s agriculture production. Moreover,
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Horticulture plan implemented in Idukki
Water Resources Minister P.J. Joseph said on Tuesday that a generation having deep awareness on farming should be groomed and the Comprehensive Horticulture Development Plan is being implemented with this
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Govt cuts irrigation costs to drought-hit farmers
India took steps amid its second drought in just four years to cut irrigation costs and increase fodder supplies for livestock farmers but stopped short of curbing exports of agricultural products or banning futures trade. June-September monsoon rains, the main source of irrigation for 55 per cent of its farmlands, are so far 19 per cent below average. This has triggered fears of lower output and higher food inflation in one of the world's largest consumers and producers of grain.
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Chhattisgarh govt disburses Rs 1272 cr to farmers
Chhattisgarh government has disbursed about Rs 1272 crore to farmers in the state as farm loan at a nominal rate of interest of one per cent per annum. The credit disbursement to the farmers is about 75 per cent of the target set by the state government for distributing loan in the current kharif session 2012-13. The loan disbursement under a state government scheme started from April 1. “Till now, loans to the tune of Rs 1272.43 crore had been disbursed to the farmers in the state,” officials with the cooperative department said. The amount is about Rs 358.43 crore more than the loan disbursed during the corresponding period last year, the added.
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Free seeds for flood-hit farmers - Majuli will get 300 quintals and Jorhat 45 quintals
The district agriculture department will distribute free vegetable and paddy seeds to flood-hit farmers in Jorhat district. It has also set up community nurseries to grow seedlings for sali crop. District