The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
A new type of high-yielding breed of Aman rice has been unveiled in Bangladesh. Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury said Bangladesh was the first country to release seeds of the zinc-rich BRRI-62. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) has invented this breed, she said at Monday's press briefing. "It is not genetically …
The agriculture scientists of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) have developed a Basmati rice variety (HUBR 10-9), which recorded 60% higher yield than TarawadiBasmati, 20% higher than PusaBasmati and 12% higher than Pusa 1121. The 66th meeting of the Central Varietal Release Committee held at New Delhi recommended HUBR 10-9 (Malaviya …
Israeli researchers engineer drought resistant plants that could be a game-changer in the global food crisis, requiring less water, yielding bigger harvests, and staying fresh longer. Professor of Biology Shimon Gepstein of Haifa's Technion University pioneered research that may represent a major advance in food supplies worldwide. According to Technion …
NewDelhi:The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the food security bill, barely eight months ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election amid a fierce competition between Congress and the opposition to daub themselves in populist colours. Termed a “gamechanger” by UPA-2, the food security bill went through a protracted passage in …
A Supreme Court-appointed committee is learnt to have recommended a moratorium on field trials for Bt in food crops in the country, contending that there was no definitive information about their long-term safety. The technical expert committee (TEC) consisting of experts in the fields of molecular biology, toxicology, nutrition science, …
A technical committee appointed by the Supreme Court (SC) has recommended an indefinite moratorium on open field trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops till the deficiencies in the regulatory and safety systems are effectively addressed. The recommendations, if accepted by the court, would have a serious impact on the commercialisation of …
Ram Kumar, 36, a construction worker from Bihar's Madhubani district, does not have a ration card although he falls below the poverty line. His attempts to get a ration card have run into a maze of official delays. Denied subsidised foodgrain from the public distribution system (PDS) without a card, …
The state has outsmarted Haryana and now stands third after Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in per hectare yield. After registering nearly 20 per cent growth during year 2011-12, Madhya Pradesh has once again claimed to have achieved an higher agriculture growth among all Indian states. Though the growth figures slipped …
A study found high concentrations of cadmium in rice samples from 12 upazilas. Bangladesh came at the top followed by Sri Lanka for concentrations of cadmium in a listing of 12 countries where rice was tested for toxic metals. Cadmium had been linked to a mysterious chronic kidney disease the …
An agricultural dragnet has found no cases of unapproved genetically engineered wheat outside of a 123-acre field in Oregon after two months of an ongoing investigation, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday. The discovery of the wheat, not approved for cultivation anywhere in the world, shook the global market …
The controversial Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill which was introduced in the Lok Sabha in April has been released for public consultation on June 11. Once tabled in Parliament, BRAI will be a regulatory authority for all Genetically Modified Organisms including controversial genetically modified (GM) crops in the …
The world produces 4 billion tonnes of food every year, enough to feed its 7 billion people. Yet, every seventh person on earth sleeps hungry. Is it only because we waste 30-50 percent of our food? Or do 2.6 million children die of malnutrition every year because another 40 million …
State of food security in Pakistan has deteriorated since 2003. The conditions for it are inadequate in 80 out of 131 districts of Pakistan. Ab out 48.6 percent of Pakistanis do not have access to sufficient food for an active and healthy life. This was stated by CEO Society for …
American wheat farmers and a food safety advocacy group filed a lawsuit Thursday against biotech seed developer Monsanto Co, accusing the company of failing to protect the U.S. wheat market from contamination by its unauthorized wheat. The petition, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, …
China will remain self-sufficient in the main food crops, though output will slow in the next decade under increasing resource and rural labor constraints, according to a new forecast by two international agencies. China will import more oilseed and livestock, for both the meat and dairy sectors, as consumption growth …
New Delhi: Criticism that it is dragging its feet over welfare measures and the need to stamp its authorship over flagship programmes will see the cabinet considering an ordinance to implement the food security bill on Tuesday. The decision to take the ordinance route instead of considering a special session …
The Green Revolution reduced hunger also in India, but it is not enough to raise yields, other, complementary interventions in the food system and other sectors are also important says this 2013 edition of FAO's State of Food & Agriculture report. Malnutrition in all its forms – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, …
Genetic modification in agriculture involves the release of modified living organisms into the open environment. It is a technology which is at present imprecise, potentially hazardous and irreversible. This booklet presents a brief overview of why genetically modified foods and crops are a matter of serious concern to people all …
This study conducted by Accountability Initiative found several inefficiencies and widespread irregularities in implementation of the flagship Mid-Day Meal scheme in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. This study attempts to fill this gap in the context of the Mid Day Meal scheme (MDM). It employs a unique method to track fund …
The UPA-II government’s flagship programme, the Food Security Bill, which comes with a neat price tag of Rs 1.23 lakh crore, holds the promise of eradicating hunger. If passed, the bill, it is expected, will ensure foodgrain to 67 per cent of the poor. Surely, with elections round the corner, …
