CEOs need to accelerate their action plans to safeguard the production of commodities critical to the global population and economy as heat stress and drought risk rise around the world, according to PwC's report, Climate Risks to Nine Key Commodities: Protecting People and Prosperity, published. The report, which analysed nine …
The European Commission proposed on Wednesday that governments approve only the third ever genetically modified crop for cultivation in Europe, but took steps to avert an expected backlash from France and other GMO opponents. The proposal covers an insect-resistant maize developed jointly by DuPont and Dow Chemical which, if approved, …
China’s corn harvest is poised to decline for the first time in four years after flooding in its biggest-producing province and drought in its fifth largest cut yields, easing a global glut as the U.S. reaps a record crop. Output by the world’s second-biggest corn grower fell 3.2 percent to …
The European Union is on course to approve cultivation of a new type of genetically modified maize for the first time in more than a decade, according to a draft proposal from the bloc's executive seen by Reuters. The proposal was drawn up after Europe's second highest court last month …
Legislators on the island of Kauai in Hawaii have approved a bill that would restrict the use of pesticides by companies developing genetically modified crops there. The 6-to-1 vote by the Kauai County Council came just after 3:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, at the end of an emotion-filled hearing …
Four maize varieties have been recently released by the maize department of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) at the national level this year. All of them have passed rigorous field trials held across various states. "These varieties have passed tests proving that they have a higher productivity than 4 high …
A portion of the standing paddy crop in Bhaktapur has been destroyed by “neck blast” and “bacterial leaf blight” diseases. According to a preliminary finding, paddy on 361 hectares out of the 4,252 hectares of rice fields in the district has been lost. The infection has been detected in 16 …
Kenya is no stranger to adaptation when it comes to food production. Kenya's cultural and political underpinnings are reliant upon adaptation to current climatic conditions. Present predictions are that drastic adaptation will be necessary once again. According to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Association for Strengthening …
The authors analyze the relationship between food security and trade, focusing on food importers’ exposure to sudden market failures from relying on a narrow range of international suppliers. They compute a bilateral import penetration index (BIPI), which gauges the degree to which a country depends on another for food imports. …
Three Italian ministries have signed a decree banning the cultivation of a type of genetically modified maize, citing environmental concerns, the agriculture ministry said on Friday. The decree, which still needs to be published in the official gazette to become binding, targets Monsanto's MON810 maize, one of two genetically modified …
To promote crop diversification programme in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced to provide maize seed at 75 per cent subsidy to farmers in 12 districts during the next kharif season. An official spokesman said the Chief Minister had directed the Agriculture Department to ensure the installation of …
More than 90 per cent paddy transplantation has been completed in the state. However, the area under paddy cultivation has been reduced by 60,000 hectares this year. An official of the Agriculture Department said the government was encouraging farmers to diversify from paddy to maize and the farmers were being …
United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) today launched rice herbicide 'Saathi' in Uttar Pradesh, a major paddy producer in India. The product would control all types of weeds and cost about Rs 1,000 a acre, increasing the farmers' profit margin, Head (integrated business unit) Bhupen Dubey said. He said the biggest challenge …
The state agriculture department has selected three private companies to start a value chain development programme in 13 districts, where farmers will cultivate maize. The programme will also train farmers for better agricultural practices, good seeds and assured purchase price among others, said officials of the agriculture department. The department …
Agricultural research in India has hit a major roadblock in the last three years with several States deciding not to give no-objection certificates (NOCs) and Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) not meeting ahead of the crucial kharif season. If it fails to meet in the next 2-3 weeks to consider …
Finally, a diversification policy is in place with maize and cotton to be targeted as focus crops to help reduce the area under paddy cultivation. Simultaneously, the government has decided to withdraw the 3 per cent infrastructure tax on basmati to give a boost to basmati exports besides amending the …
State government is trying to decrease area under paddy In order to give a fillip to maize research and cultivation in the state, the Punjab government has approved transfer of 100 hectares in Ladowal near Ludhiana free to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for setting up a Directorate …
The biotechnology industry's annual report "Global Status of Commercialised Biotech/GM Crops: 2012" by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), which hailed biotechnology as the "fastest adopted crop technology" is facing emerging contentions that it has misrepresented and drastically overestimated its figures. South Africa's genetically modified (GM) …
Hyderabad: Six people died and 23 were injured in different incideue to unseasonal rains, thunder and hailstorm since April 1. While isolated to heavy rains occurred for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, the Met authorities warned that thunder squalls may occur in parts of Telangana in the next 24 …
Syngenta and Bayer, top producers of the pesticides blamed for a sharp fall in bee populations around the world, have proposed a plan to support bee health to try to forestall a European Union ban on the products. EU governments failed this month to agree a ban on three widely …
This study presents the findings of research into the global socio-economic and environmental impact of genetically modified (GM) crops in the sixteen years since they were first commercially planted on a significant area. It focuses on the farm level economic effects, the production effects, the environmental impact resulting from changes …
