Shimla, May 17: The state will import new and healthy genetic strains of trout from countries like Norway and Hungary with advice from experts at the Directorate of Cold Water Fisheries at Nainital

In March, US President Barack Obama signed the HR 933 continuing resolution — popularly known as the Monsanto Protection Act — that effectively divests the federal courts of their constitutional po

"Climate change is projected to reduce timely sown irrigated wheat production by about 6% in 2020. In case of late sown wheat, the projected levels are to the extent of 18%," Pawar said in the Rajya Sabha.

Climate change is likely to bring down the production of key foodgrain crops like wheat and rice in the country by up to 18% in 2020, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today.

PANJIM: State government is in the process of framing a scheme for mining dependent people to help them make the transition from mining to agriculture, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the State Assembly on Tuesday.

Parrikar also said that the State Mineral Policy, which is currently at the draft stage, will spell out government’s proposal to clear off mining rejects in agriculture properties to bring the wasteland into cultivable agriculture land.

State government is trying to decrease area under paddy

In order to give a fillip to maize research and cultivation in the state, the Punjab government has approved transfer of 100 hectares in Ladowal near Ludhiana free to the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) for setting up a Directorate of Maize Research in the state. The step is likely to give a major thrust to the much-needed agricultural diversification programme in Punjab. This endeavour would also help in development of new hybrid and high-yielding varieties of maize, thereby contributing in improving farmers' incomes.

Himachal Pradesh, known for its wide variety of fruit produce, could soon have competition from the faraway state of Sikkim. The former princely state in the northeast is foraying into cultivation of not only exotic items kiwifruit, but also more common varieties like apples, pears, pomegranate, almonds and walnuts.

“Introducing and cultivating kiwifruit and strawberry in this state is one of our success stories,” Dr Ashish Yadav, senior scientist at Indian Council for Agricultural Research’s regional centre, here said. “Given the soil and climatic conditions, there is vast potential for kiwifruit cultivation in Sikkim as also in other areas of the northeast India,” he added.

Making a case for genetically-modified (GM) technology to boost farm output, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said scientists should not be denied the right to conduct field trials of such crops.

‘In Bijapur, yield has increased by 20 to 25 per cent in last two years’

The National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), a pilot project to help dryland farmers, has shown good results. It was taken up by the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, a constituent organisation of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), two years ago. The project, being implemented in three districts — Bijapur, Belgaum and Bangalore Rural — through the Regional Agricultural Research Stations (RARSs), has a multipronged approach to help dryland farmers get better yields with the available water.

Plea to invest one per cent of agricultural GDP in research

“The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is asking the Government to invest one per cent of the total agricultural Gross Domestic Product in agricultural research for the XII Five Year Plan,” S. Ayyappan, Director General of ICAR, said here on Wednesday. Delivering the convocation address of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, he pointed out that the agricultural research system at the national level was so strong that it was able to provide for the 122 crore population.

ICAR “shielding errant officials” by delaying the report

In a damning indictment of the way some Bt cotton varieties were developed and commercialised in the country, a committee headed by Prof. S.K. Sopory, Vice-Chancellor of JNU, found that indigenous Bikaneri Nerma (BN) Bt cotton variety was contaminated by a gene patented by Monsanto.

Having found lapses in the “BNLA106 event”, the committee has held as “invalid” the data obtained from bio-safety studies and field trials with BNBt as these were conducted with material that contained Monsanto’s “MON531 event”.