The present study was carried out on stored rice variety PAU 201 in Punjab that was not permitted for milling and public distribution due to the presence of damaged grains at levels exceeding the regulatory limits of 4.75 per cent. The aim of the study was to determine fungal and aflatoxin contamination in the rice samples to assess hazard from the presence of damaged grains.
Presence of iron in discoloured rice grains was also assessed.
Punjab’s agricultural sector grew at 1.6 per cent during the 11th Plan against the national average of 3.41 per cent. The growth is tardy owing to near saturation in productivity.
Chandigarh: Political cacophony over state grants apart, the Rs 21,000-crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery at Bathinda is sure to boost industrial growth in Punjab.
The Rs 21,500-crore Guru Gobind Singh Refinery near Bathinda — the largest investment Punjab has seen since Independence — will formally be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on April 28.
Following directions of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Punjab Government has banned the manufacture, import and use of carcinogenic pesticides, which according to reports, caused cancer among the small farmers in the Malwa region that consists of Southern districts — Bathinda, Faridkot, Moga, Muktsar, Ferozepur, Sangrur and Mansa.
Following directions from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in respect of growing cancer incidence on account of indiscriminate use of pesticides in Punjab, the state government has banne
