An Eye on Methane: the road to radical transparency takes stock of progress harnessing an imminent data revolution that can accelerate methane reduction on a global scale. Credible data has the potential to deliver the transparency needed for rapid climate action, but only if reconciled, integrated and put into the …
Indians, it seems, are obsessed with growth. Everyone wants to see and experience it. Growth, however, is as much elusive as it is desired. Policy makers and politicians are at their wits' end in their efforts to put the economy in the growth trajectory. The days of 9 per cent …
A decade ago, Chandra Pradhani, a Paraja tribal of Nuaguda village in Kundra block of Odisha's Koraput district, would migrate to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to earn a living as a brick kiln worker. He no longer does this. Today, he is feted by the nation. He was one of the …
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today announced Rs 1,00,000 crore increase in the agriculture credit target to Rs 5,75,000 for the next fiscal and raised the outlay for farm sector by about Rs 3,000 crore. "Agriculture continues to be a priority to the government. The total plan outlay for agriculture and …
The first-ever Global Food Security Forum, organized by OCP Group, a Moroccan multinational corporation and a global leader in production of phosphate fertilizer, was held in Rabat, Morocco, last week. Some 300 scientists and other stakeholders from around the world participated. In his opening remarks, noted agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, …
CACP’s chairman on why Indian agriculture is trapped in a cycle of mediocre growth and low productivity. The 11th five-year plan is in its closing stages. And for the third consecutive Plan period, agriculture looks like it will miss the targeted 4 per cent growth by a long shot. Even …
Economic growth and food security depend on healthy farm sector, whose pillar, the farmer, is still neglected. In India, agriculture and allied sector is the source of income for over 60% of rural population and its contribution to GDP has been consistently coming down and currently stands at 14.3%. For …
This has reference to the article, “Beware the biotech Bill” (March 5) by Avik Roy. This was a much needed comprehensive article on genetically modified crops and the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill. The questions raised are the ones that people regularly get to hear. There is this basic …
Science and innovation have always been the key forces behind agricultural growth in particular and economic transformation in general. More specifically, the ability to add value to agricultural production via the application of scientific knowledge to entrepreneurial activities stands out as one of the most important lessons of economic history. …
The eastern region of the country, which occasionally hits the headlines for starvation deaths, has turned into a food surplus zone thanks to a special programme launched last year to boost productivity in the area. The government said on Friday that "bringing green revolution in eastern India programme (BGREI)", launched …
M.S. Swaminathan delivers talk at sustainable development meet “Develop science to overcome the impact of the changes in the climate on food production,” M.S. Swaminathan, eminent agricultural scientist, appealed to scientists on Wednesday. Inaugurating the three-day consultation on ‘Sustainable development- 20 years after Rio: biodiversity-food security and livelihoods', organised by …
Meghalaya governor R.S. Mooshahary today asserted the need to introduce an “evergreen revolution” to enhance agricultural productivity and ensure better credit flow to farmers. The governor was addressing a daylong conference on linking budding entrepreneurs with government schemes and the market, organised by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry …
GUWAHATI: The State Irrigation Department has geared up to implement new irrigation schemes in Assam and to also complete the schemes that are under construction within this year. Talking to mediapersons, Irrigation Department chief engineer Tilak Chandra Das said that out of the total 627 minor irrigation schemes under the …
Bangladeshi women farmers in rainbow-bright saris survey their flooded rice paddies with dismay: the rains have drowned the tender seedlings and, with them, their livelihoods. Climate change, ill-judged policies, protectionism, urbanisation and plain greed have all conspired to reignite Malthusian prophesies of a growing world population unable to feed itself. …
New Delhi The agriculture ministry is seeking higher budgetary allocation to ramp up the focus on farm mechanisation and sustainable agricultural schemes in the next financial year, as the country plans to implement an ambitious food security law that would put pressure on the farm sector to scale up productivity …
The sixth anniversary of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) saw the government promising reforms in the scheme, which has been criticised for delays in wage payments and depleting farm labour. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the scheme could usher in a second green revolution through land development and …
The government’s plan of ushering in a green revolution in eastern states doesn’t seem to have taken off in the country’s biggest paddy (de-husked) rice producing state of West Bengal. Till January 20, only 50 per cent of the total funds allocated for the state were released by the Centre. …
Passengers on an unusual train journeying the through the thick of Punjab polls discuss their ailments afflicting an entire generation. Strangely, for the state's politics, which is as much blinded by materialism as the people there, these problems just don't exist.
The Centre on Monday released Rs 332.87 crore to seven Eastern States to extend the Green Revolution in the current financial year (2011-12). Rs 400 crore have been earmarked for this sub-scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana for this year. The programme targets improvement in the rice-based cropping system in …
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to promote agri-allied industry, to treble small and marginal farmers’ income in five years. It is also planning to promote new clusters and form companies in which these farmers will hold a stake. In the interim Budget, the state government had earmarked Rs 3,000 …
A study of the socio-economic situations of three villages in north-eastern Andhra Pradesh shows that while times and values have vastly changed, not much has been transformed in terms of privileges and opportunities. Those belonging to landowning families have managed to get a good education and secure good jobs or …
