Financial Express

International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), which works on agricultural research and development across the drylands of Asia and Africa, is in discussions with Google, Facebook and Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) for soil mapping using spatial data analytics technology. Once materialised, the partnership will be the first of its kind which will be using the digital architecture, including drones, for best farming practices. “We are in discussions with Google, Facebook and ESRI for using remote sensing data and drones for soil mapping and weather management purposes. While the discussions are still in the initial stages, we aim to bring a creative platform for innovations that changes the lives of the ...

The Hindu

Agriculture and Micro, Small and Medium-scale Enterprises (MSMEs) are expected to see higher credit off-take in Coimbatore district this financial year.

Bloomberg Quint

As it happens, the crucial breakthrough may not take place in cities at all, but on farms. If emerging nations like India want to replicate China’s success, they first have to improve their agricultural productivity.

The Times of India

Uttar Pradesh expressed its interest in using the expertise of Israel in development of agriculture, irrigation, horticulture, energy, science and technology, smart cities and other sectors, chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi said in a meeting with Israeli ambassador Daniel Carmon here on Tuesday.

Business Standard

After years of wait and regulatory scrutiny, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), India’s regulator for transgenic products, has finally recommended the genetically modified mustard seeds named Dhara Mustard Hybrid 11 (DMH-11) for commercial release. In 2010, GEAC had approved Bt Brinjal, but the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) did not permit its commercialisation. We hope that this time, the government will respect scientists’ recommendation and allow farmers to grow DMH-11 in their fields.

Financial Express

Though the environment ministry has, in the past, taken a tough stand vis-à-vis the anti-GM lobby, the fact that it hastily withdrew the FAQs on GM mustard—issued a day after GEAC approval, these said the crop was safe for human consumption—suggests getting the government nod may not be that easy. Indeed, if the government’s latest interventions in two ongoing cases involving GM-giant Monsanto are anything to go by, the official opposition has only strengthened. Unlike some activists who argue the crop is unsafe for human consumption—it is being consumed even today since India imports large quantities of GM soya and rapeseed/canola oil—the government focus, though, is more on the costs of GM patents; worse, ...

Business Standard

NITI Aayog, the government’s policy analysis and formulation arm, has come under some criticism on recent stands it has taken, with some alleging a bias on corporate interests.

Financial Express The Hindu BusinessLine

At the outset, we should congratulate Deepak Pental, for developing GM mustard. It is the first major breakthrough in GM research in India. We should also congratulate GEAC for taking a step forward and recommending the commercialisation of GM mustard after a thorough scientific evaluation. This is the result of twenty years of painstaking scientific experiments and regulatory scrutiny. We are hopeful that the minister of environment and forests will approve its commercialisation based on GEAC’s recommendation. The GM mustard project was funded entirely by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)—the largest producer and supplier of Dhara brand edible oil in the country—and the government’s department of biotechnology ...

Ecologise

From The Indian Express: Each time with the GM debate, agro-business and biotech industry puts huge pressure on the Indian government to destroy food culture and replace many old nutritious-rich foods with by patented toxic monocultures. By threatening India with the GM Mustard, corporations are destroying the centre of diversity of mustard for the world. There are hundreds of varieties of indigenous vegetables in India because of its rich and diverse Indian tradition, this is particularly true for brinjal, but also to a lesser extent for mustard.

The Financial Express

For almost a decade, as the Bt cotton revolution spread across the country, there was no outcry from farmers on how high seed prices were crippling them. Indeed, ofthe 45 -odd firms Monsanto has licensed its technology to, only Nuziveedu Seeds had a problem with its royalty rates, and that was after a decade— Nuziveedu accounts for around a fifth of all seeds sold using Monsanto technology.

The Hindu

“The infrastructure development in all the regions will be given due importance and more attention will be given to the areas which are found backward. Due importance will be given both for agriculture and industrial sectors in a balanced manner by suitably supporting them.”

Business Standard

The revamped crop insurance scheme was quickly lapped up by the state and after initial delays in notification, the area under the scheme in 2016-17 rabi season has risen to almost 40 per cent of the total cropped area.

The Times of India Live mint

There are around over 27 lakh farmers who are still out of the institutional credit system and such farmers need to be brought back to the credit system, it said. The committee has General Manager Reserve Bank of India,; Additional Chief Secretary (Planning); Principal Secretary of Agriculture, Divisional Commissioner of Pune; Cooperation Commissioner and Registrar Cooperative Societies, Chief General Manager NABARD and others as its members.

The New Indian Express

This crop season, the district has witnessed bumper production of green gram (Moong), black gram (Biri) and groundnuts. As demand for pulses and groundnuts is always high, farmers (share croppers in particular) decided to take up cultivation of the crops despite the fact the Government did not offer subsidy on seeds. Moong was sown in 42,116 hectares (ha) and the Agriculture department had set a target to procure 2.50 lakh quintals through NAFED, MARKFED and Odisha State Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd by April first week.

The Hans India

Farmers came on to the roads demanding procurement of paddy, but the officials were unsympathetic, Narsareddy fumed at the party office here on Tuesday. He said that only 1.5 lakh metric tonnes paddy was procured so far. He questioned the government ‘how much time it takes to procure the remaining two lakh metric tonnes of paddy. Whenever the farmers protest, the government is intimidating them by resorting to canning and arresting, he said.

Assam Tribune

Bhagat accentuated that there should be direct interaction between the farmers and scientists and other experts in agriculture and allied sector, so that technology developed by the research centres, KVKs and other institute can directly benefit the farming community.

YourStory

In an age where people are chasing B-school placements and those big pay cheques, few choose to tread a different path and follow their passion.

The Financial Express

India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday stated that the southwest monsoon (June-September) is likely to hit Kerala coast on May 30 with a model error of ± 4 days. Monsoon usually arrives over Kerala in the first week of June, then covers rest of the country during next one month or so. “The statistical model forecast suggests that the monsoon onset over Kerala in this year is likely to be close to the normal date, IMD said in a statement.

Business Standard

The news has still not sunk in. The nation has still not been able to understand the serious ramifications of allowing commercial cultivation of GM (genetically modified) food crops. The regulatory approval granted to GM Mustard is actually aimed at opening the flood gates for GM foods. India is, in reality, is getting ready to be the world’s biggest dustbin for a risky, unwanted and harmful technology.

Business Standard

The news has still not sunk in. The nation has still not been able to understand the serious ramifications of allowing commercial cultivation of GM (genetically modified) food crops. The regulatory approval granted to GM Mustard is actually aimed at opening the flood gates for GM foods. India is, in reality, is getting ready to be the world’s biggest dustbin for a risky, unwanted and harmful technology.

YourStory

The past few months saw Karnataka and Tamil Nadu bickering over the sharing of the Cauvery water. It was the failure of the south-west monsoon that had put crops in Karnataka at risk, forcing the government to stop water supplies to Tamil Nadu. The arrival of the north-east monsoon in Tamil Nadu, however, has eased this tension. The fact, however, is that it’s not as much the rainfall as the changed crop pattern that has aggravated the situation.