As climate change intensifies, it is imperative for policymakers to address the escalating loss and damage it inflicts on vulnerable communities in developing countries. In India's Maharashtra state, these impacts are forcing rural families into life-altering decisions and migrations to work in sugarcane fields, where exploitative practices by contractors, including …
In Brazil, which is the world’s biggest sugarcane producer, the federal government realized this scenario offered a great opportunity for transforming the country into the world’s biggest ethanol producer and exporter. However several facts relating to global and national aspects reversed the tendency towards increase of domestic consumption and ethanol …
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is looking at whether technology based on genetically modified organisms (GMO) could improve four so-called economic crops. The government is looking at ways to develop maize, cassava, palm and sugar cane. GM technology is considered "an option" for increasing yields, controlling costs, and cutting …
The 52nd Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in response to a call for action of the Minister of Health of El Salvador, recognized chronic kidney disease from nontraditional causes (CKDnT) affecting agricultural communities in Central America as a serious public health problem that requires urgent, effective, …
RAA massive sugarcane cultivation programme has taken by the Directorate of Agriculture Extension (DAE) in the three districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region in the current season, reports BSS. The DAE found that the cash crop, which has a high demand in the region and outside, could yield good …
Morgan Stanley says forecasts so far don't point to severe outcomes; however, FAO says big problem if shortage prolonged; both agree on need to track spread and amount With the deficiency of rainfall due to the El Niño occurrence forecast at seven per cent this monsoon season, its impact on …
Haryana Chief Secretary SC Chaudhary approved Rs 52.11 crores action plan under the State Food Security Mission for 2014-15. The new initiative taken by the state government would help encourage and subsidise cultivation of wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and commercial crops such as sugarcane and cotton. Chaudhary presided over a …
The first ‘satellite remote-sensing laboratory’ of the country was inaugurated on Tuesday at the crop reporting services centre functioning in the agriculture extension division office. Agriculture Secretary Ahmed Bakhsh Narejo inaugurated the lab established in collaboration with the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) and the Food and …
Weather conditions in various countries and political tensions in the Black Sea region have made food markets more volatile, FAO reports in the new Food Outlook. In its first major forecast for 2014, FAO puts cereal production at 2 458 million tonnes (including milled rice), down some 2.4 percent from …
The State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014 provides a bird's-eye view of market and performance trends across 16 of the most prevalent standards initiatives operating across ten different commodity sectors. The Review represents one small effort toward strengthening our understanding of how voluntary sustainability standards are developing over time, both …
There’s now a 70% chance of El Nino crimping monsoon, shows Oz forecast The threat of El Nino, which can disrupt crucial monsoon rains in India, has increased significantly, according to international forecasters. That puts agricultural production — particularly that of paddy, sugarcane and pulses — under a cloud and …
Crisis caused by hailstorms, rain turns a poll issue As many as 38 farmers have committed suicide in the State over the last month, after hailstorms and unseasonal rain, official figures show. North Maharashtra alone has reported 16 cases. “We have called for details to scrutinise whether the suicides have …
ISLAMABAD: Around 3,000 megawatts (MW) cheaper electricity would be generated through sugarcane bagasse on fast track basis and investors would be facilitated and encouraged. Minister for Water and Power Ahmed Mukhtar said necessary amendments would also be made in the existing co-generation and Renewable Energy policies to make it simplified …
Leaving direct taxes untouched, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram today slashed excise duty on cars, SUVs and two-wheelers, and capital goods and consumer durables to boost manufacturing and growth. Presenting the Interim Budget for 2014-15, he also provided service tax exemption for storage and warehousing of rice like it was done …
The Punjab Seed Council (PSC) approved 39 new verities of different crops for cultivation including 15 Bt cotton, 6 rice, 2 wheat, 1 sugarcane, 2 gram, 3 citrus, 4 peach, 3 flowers and 1 variety of each potato, tomato and turnip. A spokesman of the department said on Monday that …
The Punjab Seed Council has approved 39 new verities of different crops for general cultivation. The new varieties included 15 Bt Cotton, six rice, two wheat, one Sugarcane, two Gram, three Citrus, four Peach, three flowers and one variety of each potato, tomato and turnip. The approval was granted in …
Recent crop harvesting practices use mechanical harvesters in the rice and wheat farm system in India. These practices leave behind large quantities of crop residue in the field. However, there is no suitable method available for managing the crop residues. Crop residues / biomass burning are cheap and easiest method …
The four-day-long incessant rainfall has damaged a huge amount of sugarcane plantation in the district. The continuous rainfall during the Dashain festival caused damages to sugarcane farming in Laxminiya, Belgachhi, Bijalpura, Hattilet, Ramnagar, Pashupatinagar, Kisannagar, Bhangaha and Aurahi VDCs in the district. With the damages, sugarcane farmers have faced huge …
Not a month passes without farmers on fringes of Erode’s forest area complaining to the district administration at the periodic grievances day meetings about sufferings they undergo due to the havoc caused by wild animals to their standing crops. Crops Sugarcane, turmeric, banana and tapioca crops that the farmers of …
A section of women self-help groups growing vegetables at Bahour in Puducherry had switched to organic fertilizers due to the growing demand for organically grown crops. But the transformation to eco-friendly practices was not complete as they had to bank on chemical pesticides. Their wait ended with the state bio-control …
Mahottari district is in the grip of a severe drought in contrast to the torrential rains that have lashed the rest of the country. The Natural Disaster Rescue Committee, Mahottari has urged the government to declare the district as “drought affected” and provide relief to the farmers since they have …
