Initiate measures to restore biodiversity: panel
Panchayats asked to maintain seed banks

Thrissur: The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) has called for banning farming with chemical fertilizers in the ecologically-sensitive areas in the Western Ghats.

The WGEEP, which is holding a three-day meeting here, said organic farming should be promoted in a big way in the Western Ghats.

Declare State GM organisms-free on the lines of M.P., Bihar.
Farmer groups here on Sunday demanded that Rajasthan be declared a genetically modified (GM) organisms-free State on the lines of Madhya Pradesh, which has recently decided to prohibit any environmental release, including field trials, of GM seeds and crops in view of their safety and impact on human beings and environment still being i

The Union agriculture ministry has proposed to set up an organic certification centre in Jharkhand to fulfil the state

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal yesterday said states should be allowed to implement their own agriculture initiatives, claiming the Centre should not force its programmes, particularly those connected with GM technology, on the states.

Addressing delegates and later talking to newsmen at the two-day national convention of its Kisan Morcha, the Chief Minister said the party wa

Agriculture scientists have opined that if just 10 per cent farming in the country is turned organic, it will lead to net saving of about Rs 25,000 crore in the country.

The Kisan Call Centre has redressed problems of about four lakh farmers so far. During the last 31 months, the Kisan Call Centre has given agriculture-related information to three lakh 92 thousand 654 farmers and redressed the difficulties of two lakh 15 thousand 393 agriculturists.

Irate farmers blocked the DabwaFarmers block highway over Bt cotton seedli national highway against the unavailability of Bt cotton seed at the authorised outlets of a reputed seed manufacturing company.

The farmers alleged that an artificial shortage of the seed was being created to sell it on the black market.

Ahead of the first meeting of an expert committee of scientists to determine the kind of tests to be conducted on genetically-modified brinjal, commonly known as Bt brinjal, a prominent member of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has resigned from the panel.

The resignation of P Anand Kumar comes following an appeal by the co-chair of the panel at its last meeting to members to