New Delhi: The massive hike of Rs 5 in the price of diesel and the removal of subsidy on cooking gas beyond six cylinders will hit the common man, already caught in a price spiral, very hard.

The Cabinet on Wednesday decided to limit the extent of land that can be used by plantations for tourism purposes.

The State, by way of an amendment to the Land Reforms Act, had earlier allowed 5 per cent of land in recognised plantations to be used for cultivating non-plantation crops and tourism. (The Bill passed by the previous United Democratic Front government in 2005 received President’s assent recently). The Cabinet decision specified that 90 per cent of the five per cent land being diverted should be used for mixed farming, dairying, cultivation of vegetables, fruits, ornamental flowers, and medicinal plants,

New Delhi:Hooked to organic food for its supposed health benefits? Here’s some food for thought.

Waste disposal system went haywire after the formation of the BBMP

Hardly 10 years ago, farmers bringing vegetables to the K R Market in the City would never return to their villages with an empty cart. newly added problem: Local bodies merged with the erstwhile corporation had their own garbage disposal system. dh photoThey would take with them 'green waste' in abundance on a daily basis. The rotten vegetables could not be sold to the customers, but farmers knew their importance as it helps increase the fertility of the land and the crop yield.

Diseases, inadequate rains and fall in prices add to farmers’ woes Once a hub of horticulture, Bagalkot district has suffered a set back due to drought this year.

Farmers are facing losses to the tune of crores of rupees, due to the conditions hostile to the cultivation of horticultural produce. The Horticulture department presents a gloomy picture, putting the estimated loss at Rs 33 crore. There is a drastic reduction in the quality and quantity of pomegranate, turmeric, chikoo, guava, grapes and banana, the prime crops cultivated in the district.

Irrational use of pesticides in lower Punjab and upper Sindh areas is found to be damaging environment as it has contaminated underground water, soil and even fruits and vegetables being grown ther

AHMEDABAD: Food subsidies have grown by more than 300 per cent in a period of six years between 2006-07 and 2011-12, says a study by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A).

According to the study, food subsidies increased from Rs 2,850 crore in 1991-92 to about Rs 72,823 crore in 2011-12, an increase of over 25 times in 21 years. As a result, its share in total central government subsidies under non-planed expenditure increased from 23.3 per cent to 33.7 per cent.

The Delhi high court on Friday directed a committee of experts to frame guidelines to prevent rampant use of banned pesticides in vegetables and fruits and submit its report to it. The division bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Vipin Sanghi sought the report from the committee by October 8 for framing a policy for periodic checks to detect residue of pesticides in vegetables and fruits.

The bench expressed displeasure over the committee for not holding its meetings frequently to decide the guidelines. “There has been hardly any progress to the status report. In two months, only two meetings have been held. It’s not acceptable to us.

Farmers in the arid district of Sanghar in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province regard the vegetables growing in the sandy ground outside their thatched homes as little short of a miracle.

In a country where about a third of farmland is drought-prone, farmers have started adopting technologies that help mitigate the impact of water scarcity and maximise output with minimum inputs.