Punjab may be the breadbasket of the country, but not only are its traditional wheat-growing areas producing less, overall productivity in the state has stagnated and is even on the decline.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today visited the Agriculture Research Centre (ARC) of Egypt, the largest such facility in the Middle East.

MALKANGIRI: Heavy loss of kharif crops has been reported from Podia and Kalimela blocks of the district.

The crop cutting report submitted to the State Government recently revealed that there has been 50 to 70 per cent (pc) crop loss in the various non-irrigated lands of Maoist-infested Kalimela and Podia blocks.

Cyclone Aila has altered their calculations. Hit by crop failure due to increased salinity caused by sea water surge, the farmers of the Sunderbans were pinning hope on the low-yield but salt-resistant paddy varieties that their forefathers cultivated.

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday said it may have to import rice

Revenue Minister Surjya Narayan Patro today admitted in the Assembly that there had been more than 50 per cent crop loss in autumn paddy.

Replying to an unstarred question from Adikanda Sethi (CPI), the Minister said that according to assessment made from the crop cutting experiment in 3,264 villages and 41 wards in 15 districts, there is more than 50 per cent loss in autumn paddy.

BHAWANIPATNA: As the farmers in Kalahandi district are readying to harvest winter paddy, spectre of a depleted production haunts them due to diseases and pest attack.

BPH and gundi bug pest attack along with diseases like sheath blight and sheath rot severely damaged paddy crops during pre-harvesting period.

Rainfall occurring in Madhya Pradesh since last night as a result of cyclone `Phyan' over the Arabian Sea is proving to be a boon to farmers. Besides, it has come to the succour of power-starved Madhya Pradesh.

The Centre has today finalised a plan for taking up additional crop area under the summer Boro and rabi rice in Assam.