Stiff resistance to Bt brinjal at public hearings
Anti-GM food campaigners have made their presence felt at a series of public consultations being held by Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh on the Bt brinjal issue
Nearly 2 lakh farm suicides since 1997
There were at least 16,196 farmer suicides in India in 2008, bringing the total since 1997 to 199,132, according to the National Crime Records Bureau
Gates announces $9.7 million aid for Indian farmers
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced a $9.7 million grant for farmers in India as part of a $120 million programme for agriculture uplift in endemically poor regions of the world
India could face drought if monsoon remains weak
Sowing has been significantly affected for the ongoing kharif season, according to agriculture ministry data. Although monsoon rains have now covered all of the country, the meteorological department says that, as of July 1, rainfall has been 29% below normal
Farmers request permission to commit suicide in Jharkhand
After consecutive years of poor rainfall and no help from a lethargic government, farmers in Palamu district have written to the President of India requesting permission to put an end to their “miserable” lives
After NREGA, now an Act on food security
After the rural job guarantee programme, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is now focusing on an ambitious National Food Security Act aimed at drawing more people into the food security net
Rs 6,208 crore loan waiver to benefit 40 lakh Maharashtra farmers
The state package offers a complete loan waiver for debts up to Rs 20,000, a waiver of Rs 20,000 for debts above that amount if the borrower repays the excess, and adjustments for those who have repaid their loans regularly in the past
High prices prompt rice smuggling to Bangladesh and Nepal
Food experts estimate that over 2 million tonnes of rice is being smuggled every year from India into Bangladesh. This, according to current world rice prices is worth over Rs 4,000 crore