The revised draft Seeds Bill 2019, which the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare placed in the public domain recently for suggestions and comments, seems to be a watered down version of a draft prepared about nine years ago by the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Among other things, …
NGO says it will affect bio-diveristy Activist forum — GM-Free Bengal – has opposed government alleged efforts to approve genetically modified (GM) mustard for commercial cultivation. Claiming that this was an attempt by multinationals to “enter the Indian market indirectly with the educational system”, the activists warned of severe impact …
In what may come as a boon for paddy-dependent states like Odisha, scientists at the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack are on the brink of coming out with a climate resilient variety of paddy that will singularly be capable of defying both flood and drought. A senior scientist of …
With a view to providing high quality certified seeds of wheat to farmers of Haryana during the ensuing Rabi season, more than 16.54 lakh quintal seeds have been made available for sale. The government will provide high quality seeds of wheat to farmers this year, an official spokesman said here …
The "Doomsday Vault" just got its first bit of doomsday press: coverage of its first-ever withdrawal of seeds. The vault has since 2008 sat on the Norwegian island of Svalbard, 800 miles from the North Pole where the soil is always frozen. It's a place so cold that Reuters explains …
Ever wondered what large seed-bearing trees in tropical forests have to do with rodents? A new study has explored the unique bond they share for their very existence. While trees are a source of shelter and food for rodents, the former depend on these animals for seed dispersal. Rodents eat …
The move comes despite three rounds of inter-ministerial consultations on the Seeds Bill, during which all ministries agreed to its major provisions, including five recent amendments. It’s not just the Land Acquisition Bill, the NDA government has also put on hold proposed amendments to the Seeds Bill, mainly due to …
The State government has declared 16 more taluks drought-hit, taking the total number to 114. Some of the taluks added to the list are in Malnad and coastal districts. Virajpet in Kodagu, Sakleshpur in Hassan, Sorab in Shivamogga, and Ankola, Haliyal, Mundgod, Sirsi and Yellapur in Uttar Kannada among others …
The first worldwide study of animals and the seeds they eat has overturned a long-held assumption - that large animals mainly eat large seeds. The finding by UNSW Australia scientists has implications for conservation showing that a wider variety of plants than is often thought could be at risk if …
New findings published in the journal Global Ecology and Biogeography examine a worldwide study on animals and the seeds they eat, including a long-held assumption that still holds true: larger animals mainly stick to larger seeds. But just what does this mean for the environment? Researchers at UNSW Australia noted …
Refers matter to Anil Kakodkar-led committee Amid strong protests by from the Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the Maharashtra government has stayed open field trials in genetically modified lines of rice, chana, maize, brinjal and cotton in the state. The government has referred objections and comments received from …
A genetically-modified cereal crop that produces fish oil in its seeds has been grown successfully for the first time in Britain, scientists have announced. Up to 15 per cent of the oil in the seeds of the GM crop following the first year’s harvest turned out to be the omega-3 …
ISLAMABAD: Cotton growers’ current woes with the genetically modified (GM) Bt seeds have been traced to an agreement that a national research institute signed with a multinational biotech seed producing company in 2006 over the head of Pakistan government, according to knowledgeable sources. “Dr Yousaf Zafar, the then director of …
The drafting of a new biosafety bill is being prepared to regulate import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the country. Currently, there is no law at the federal level to check import of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the country. In absence of a law, the country is fast …
NAGPUR: Just a few days before five private parties were to go ahead with field trials of genetically modified (GM) rice and chickpea (kabuli chana), the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government in state has put it on hold. The orders were abruptly issued on May 21. The companies had got …
With puzzling variability, vast numbers of birds from Canada’s boreal forests migrate hundreds or thousands of miles south from their usual winter range. These so-called irruptions were first noticed by birdwatchers decades ago, but the driving factors have never been fully explained. Now scientists have pinpointed the climate pattern that …
Seed bodies of India and Bangladesh yesterday formalised a move to cooperate on expediting trade of high-yielding varieties (HYV) of rice seeds for the benefit of the farmers of the two countries, and help boost food security. Syed AKM Asadul Amin Dadan, general secretary of the Bangladesh Seeds Association (BSA), …
While the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act 2001 is a progressive piece of legislation that recognises farmers' rights to seed, it demands payment of an annual maintenance fee by the farmers to protect the varieties which they have been cultivating and conserving for years, only because these …
An initiative has been launched to help improve smallholder farmers' access to a wider array of modern, more productive food crop varieties. The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) monitors the state of the continent's seed sector and highlights problems that prevent seeds reaching farmers. Organisers hope the scheme will shake …
Arusha — Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Mr Yamungu Kayandabila. THE government, through the state-run National Seed Committee, has just approved and launched over 65 new hybrid seed varieties said to be high yielding, drought-tolerant and disease-resistant, aimed at boosting agriculture in …
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday announced the setting up of a Organic Farming Board in the state. He was speaking at the valedictory function of the fifth National Organic Farming Convention at National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research (NITTTR). The CM said that promotion of …
