The 2023 Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor, a flagship publication of AKADEMIYA2063 and the International Food Policy Research Institute, provides an overview of trade in agriculture in Africa, including analysis of short- and long-term trends and drivers behind Africa’s global trade, intra-African trade, and trade within Africa’s regional economic communities. The …
Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan have refused to accept further cut on water release by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), saying that crop must be saved first. “Partnering States (Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan) have not agreed to take further cut on water,” an official of BBMB said here. A 10 …
New Delhi In the shadow of the monsoon deficit, the Union agriculture ministry has drafted a contingency plan for states that have received scanty rainfall, focussing on alternative or short-duration crops. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) blueprint includes a shift, wherever possible, to alternative crops like bajra, groundnut, …
The country’s foodgrain output will touch an all-time high of 257.44 million tonnes in 2011-12, according to the Government’s latest estimates. This represents a 5.17 per cent growth over the final output of 244.78 mt in 2010-11. The fourth advance estimates, released on Tuesday, pegged the foodgrain output 5 mt …
Monsanto will roll out the third generation biotechnology product in cotton next year. Ten years after it introduced the second generation Bollgard-II technology that provided twin protection to the cotton plants, the St Louis, US-based seed technology company is in the final stages of the regulatory process ahead of the …
Amid growing concern over a slow and weak progression of this year’s southwest monsoon, the government today assured the nation that the situation for most kharif crops, barring coarse cereals, had not turned worrisome yet. Experts, however, cast doubts over the claims, particularly on water-intensive paddy cultivation. The situation in …
With the southwest monsoon playing truant in northeast and central India, the Centre has asked States to be ready with alternate crops that are hardy, and can withstand dry conditions. There are reports that in some north-western states, farmers have slowed down sowing, in the hope that the monsoon will …
A paper published by the charity today highlights the increasing impact of climate change on small-scale producers in the developing world, even suggesting that agricultural productivity in some countries could fall by as much as 50% by 2080. "Small-scale producers are a key link in many companies' supply chains, often …
At a time when Bt cotton hybrids are ruling the roost, re-introducing non-Bt varieties may seem like a regressive step. But the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) here, in tandem with the agriculture department of Maharashtra government and Centrally-sponsored Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), is undertaking an experiment called high-density …
Now, consumers can make ‘informed choice’ on buying packaged food products Consumers in India can now make “informed choice” on whether they want to buy packaged food products that are genetically modified or contain genetically modified ingredients. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, in an extraordinary gazette notification, has made an …
With low output prices, farmers shifting to other crops MSP rise not enough to check this trend, say suppliers Lower cotton prices have prompted cotton seed making companies to be ready for a dent in their sales this year. Most of these fear seed demand would drop 12-15 per cent …
Officials Blame Centre’s Lopsided Policy Gandhinagar: After experiencing a sharp rise in cotton production for two years in continuation, top Gujarat government officials estimate the possibility of an abrupt fall in 2012-13. “The fall may be 25 per cent or more”, a senior state government official told TOI. In fiscal …
GM crops that make their own insecticide also deliver benefits for their conventional plant neighbours, a study in China has concluded. These strains seem to boost populations of natural pest-controlling predators, and this effect spills over to non-transgenic crops, the research found. Details of the work by a Chinese-French team …
The European Union (EU) has launched a new project funded under its regional initiative Switch Asia for Pakistan for "Sustainable Cotton Production for Pakistan's Ginning SMEs" (SPRING). The project is being implemented by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan. The project was started on March 30 this year in …
What role can companies play in strengthening the capacity of small-scale producers in developing countries to adapt to climate change, and in doing so, make their global value chains more resilient? While some leading companies have made progress in taking greater responsibility for what happens throughout their supply chains, there …
To get outlay of Rs 20,000-25,000 cr proposal for subisdised loans, too The government has decided on a comprehensive push for mechanisation of agriculture, by setting up machinery hiring centres in every village in the 12th Plan period. These machinery is to be leased for harvest with support from states …
To make judicious use of irrigation water, the Punjab government has launched a mega project costing Rs 36 billion titled “Punjab Irrigated Agriculture Productivity Improvement” under which drip & sprinkler irrigation system would be installed on 120,000 acres along with improvement of 9000 water courses for which farmers will be …
Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar is trying to re-establish his ‘farmer-friendly’ politician image but it’s been hard going with the flip-flop on commodity exports and rising farmer suicides. In April, he wrote to the prime minister criticising the government’s export policies for being “against the interests of the farming community”. …
The Maharashtra Government is planning to adopt the ‘Brazil pattern’ for boosting cotton yield in the State. “It wants to boost productivity from 475 kg per hectare to 600 kg per hectare,” a senior Maharashtra Government official said. Brazil, in spite of having just 14 lakh hectares of rain-fed land …
Says it would prefer basing its estimate on crop cutting method and not bale press method proposed by textiles ministry The Union ministry of agriculture has rejected the draft Cotton Trade (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2012, proposed by the textile ministry for streamlining output estimates for the industry. The agri …
Twenty-three suicides reported in Adilabad district since November 2011 In a scenario dominated by Bt cotton, only those farmers in Adilabad seem to be safe and happy who have practically given up cotton cultivation. Many farmers, especially those with smaller holdings, are finding the economics of Bt cotton to be …
