BJP Kisan Cell, scientists for compulsory registration of foreign seed companies

Express News Service

Posted: Apr 21, 2011 at 0212 hrs IST

Ahmedabad The BJP Kisan Cell as also agricultural scientists have said that the proposed Seeds Bill to be presented in the Monsoon Session of Parliament should incorporate provisions regarding mandatory registration of foreign seed companies in Indian territory if they are allowed to do business in the country.
At present, foreign seed companies operating in India are registered in foreign countries. The issue has become a point of debate as the Centre now plans to allow foreign companies to operate in India on a much larger scale.
Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, National Secretary General of Kisan Cell said the Bill is not acceptable in its present form unless the provisions for compulsory registration of the foreign seeds companies in India are incorporated. He had discussed the matter at length with state Agriculture Minister Dileep Sanghani on Tuesday.
Chudasama said it was necessary to have control and regulation over the companies in case of any sub-standard supply of seeds as also the arbitrary hike in prices beyond the paying capacity of farmers. He said the Centre needs to ensure three things: the compulsory registration of foreign seed companies; provisions for a fair compensation to farmers in case they did not get yield as promised by the seed suppliers; and thirdly stringent punishment for companies in case of substandard supply of seeds. The punishment should not be mere three months of imprisonment as the provisions exists now.
Chudasama said his party had given these suggestions to the UPA government and hoped the Centre would accept them. He said his party will strongly oppose the Bill in case these suggestions are not incorporated.
A R Pathak, Vice-Chancellor of Navsari Agriculture University (NAU) said the state government had consulted him on the issue, and he had verbally advised the government to push for changes in the Bill with regard to registration of multi-national seed companies in India. This would ensure a quality standard of the seeds, reasonable prices, and adequate compensation to farmers in case of low yield or failure of crops due to poor standard of seeds.
Pathak and Anand Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor A M Sheikh said the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) or some agriculture universities could be authorised as agencies for registration because of their expertise in farm issues.

SOURCE: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/bjp-kisan-cell-scientists-for-compulsory-registration-of-foreign-seed-companies/779042/

Brussels Expands Grounds for Potential GM Crop Bans

Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 15 • Number 14 • 20th April 2011

The European Parliament’s environment committee has voted to include “general environmental policy objectives” onto a list of grounds for legal justification for member states to independently outlaw the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. The 12 April vote amended a European Commission draft policy proposal that, if approved, would grant member states the right to ban GM crop cultivation within their borders if such bans are based on certain criteria.


Last February, the European Commission (EC) approved a list of possible grounds based on the premise that such a ban would help “maintain public order.” According to the initial draft, bans could be enacted in the face of popular opposition or on grounds of public morality, such as religious or philosophical concerns (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 7 February 2011).


The public order and environmental policies additions are designed to address concerns that biotechnology policies enacted independently by European member states would leave those countries open to legal challenges at the WTO.


According to the environment Members of European Parliament (MEPs), the addition of environmental grounds to the proposal is expected to give member states better legal protection to such challenges.


“Our proposal offers states a solid, legal basis,” said the French MEP Corinne Lepage, who drafted the amendment.
According to the draft proposal, as long as all restrictions are justified, proportionate, and non-discriminatory, they would be permitted within the EU. But there are currently no plans to add the list to the GM cultivation proposals currently under consideration which some experts say calls into question the strength of any legislation derived from the draft.


GM puzzle a difficult one for Brussels
Last year, the Commission proposed that the decision-making process on GM crop cultivation be partially decentralised in response to a deadlock in the crop approval process (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 23 July 2010). Only two genetically modified seeds have been approved for cultivation in Europe: a strain of maize produced by biotech giant Monsanto and a type of starch potato from Amflora, which was approved in March 2010, but only for industrial uses (see Bridges Trade BioRes and 19 March 2010).


Brussels has also been struggling with how to deal with several member states that had defied the centralised policy on the issue and unilaterally implemented GM crop bans. Member states Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland and Luxembourg have all issued bans on the cultivation of GM seeds, citing health and environmental concerns under a safeguard clause contained in the 2001 directive (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 3 April 2009). Other countries, however - including the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom - appear more open to allowing their farmers to grow the altered crops.


Some member states and environmentalists have raised concerns over the push toward more liberal GM policies, arguing that it could open the floodgates for new genetically modified crops in the EU. Others, such as Italy and Spain, have said that the proposal undermines the spirit of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Council of the European Union - a body of twenty-seven national ministers - also challenged the Commission’s proposal last November (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 22 November 2010).


In another controversial move, the EC has recently adopted a measure that allows trace amounts - up to 0.1 percent of unapproved GM crops - to be imported into the EU for animal feed. Some countries have called for the Commission to allow the unapproved GM crops to be permitted for human consumption as well, pointing out that it would be nearly impossible to distinguish the world’s crop supplies between food and feed.


Reducing or igniting internal tensions?


For its part, the Commission says its proposed policy on GM crops aims to reduce tensions surrounding the lack of compliance on GM issues by establishing clear parameters for countries’ national policies on biotech cultivation that would lessen uncertainty for farmers and agri-business across Europe.


However, opposition continues to mount against the proposal, with the UK most recently joining the faction spearheaded by France, Germany and Spain (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 21 March 2011).  The apprehensions stem from concern arising from the legal uncertainties internal fragmentation of biotechnology policy could create for the European agriculture industry and the unexpected trade barriers that could result.
In her statement at the EU environment ministers’ meeting on 17 March, Caroline Spelman - Britain’s farm minister - also cautioned that GM bans under the proposal would be in direct violation of the EU’s WTO commitments.


The MEP and European green groups in favour of the position maintain that the decentralisation proposal is necessary to help avert the negative consequences that GM contamination could have on more traditional forms of agriculture.


“Environmental impacts are a major danger of GM crops,” said Stefanie Hundsdorfer, Greenpeace EU’s agricultural policy advisor. “Including these into law will help governments ban them from Europe’s fields.  Without these grounds, national bans would be in danger of being overturned by biotech companies in court.”


ICTSD reporting; “MEPs back national freedom to ban GM crops,” EURACTIV, 13 April 2011; “Britain adds voice to criticism of EU GM crop plans”, REUTERS, 14 March 2011; “EU moves to allow traces of GMO in feed” ASSOCIATED PRESS 26 February 2011; “EU draft: States can ban GM crops for public order,” REUTERS, 4 February 2011.

 

SOURCE : http://ictsd.org/i/news/bridgesweekly/104887/

 

NEWS: Paradigm shift in food security - from deficit to surplus nation - BusinessLine

RANA KAPOOR

April 17, 2011:  

The Hindu Business Line – YES Bank ‘Food and Agribusiness Conclave' discussed the opportunities and bottlenecks faced by the agriculture sector.

Amongst many key issues that were discussed by leaders in the Food and Agribusiness domain, the deliberations on the role of private sector in enhancing food security and the need for building an efficient agri-supply chain provided considerable food-for-thought for all stakeholders.

India has witnessed a paradigm shift in food security, moving from a food deficit to a food surplus nation. The country has seen foodgrain production growth from 51 million tonnes (mt) on 97 million hectares (1947-48) to 232 mt on 120 mha (2010-11), a growth of 355 per cent in production with 24 per cent increase in area.

As of March 1, 2011, Food Corporation of India (FCI) was holding 45.8 million tonnes of rice and wheat — more than twice the prescribed buffer stock norm, which includes a food security reserve of five million tonnes. Still nutritional “food” is out of reach for many Indians, and is getting unaffordable largely due to the ineffective handling. With restrictions on food grain exports and large stocks being pooled with FCI, Government is left with huge stocks of food grains without adequate infrastructure facilities. Instances of rotting food grains in FCI warehouses have even prompted the Supreme Court to instruct the Government to distribute it free-of-cost if they cannot maintain its quality. This is further aggravated by a weak public distribution system (PDS). While we have been focusing on strengthening the procurement side of the agri-food value chain, there is little progress towards efficient release of produce at affordable prices. On the other side, a lot of PDS stock is sold in the open market aided by an inefficient system. In the coming years, managing the impact of climate change will also determine our preparedness to handle food security.

CHANGES IN WEATHER PATTERN

Changes in rainfall pattern/distribution, timing/duration of winter and summer seasons etc. have been observed. India needs to spend a lot on its R&D for better seeds and cultivation techniques to ensure successfully meeting the changing trends. India ranks 64th out of the 85 countries in the Global Hunger Index, and shelters approximately 210 million starving people. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that global food production needs to increase more than 40 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2050 compared to average 2005-07 levels.

CULTIVABLE LAND

Clearly, a large part of the consumption will happen in India and China. This would require an additional 1.6 billion hectares of land to be brought into cultivation compared to the current 1.4 billion hectares being cultivated now. This increase in cultivable land looks improbable. In India, increasing population, land distribution and demographic changes are driving demand on the one hand, while low farm productivity, in-efficient pre and post-harvest infrastructure and climatic vagaries are resulting in a stagnant supply scenario on the other hand. Therefore, the nations' need to recognise this increasing demand and to proactively ensure adequate availability of food for its citizens. The larger solution theme is to reduce the demand-supply gap through increased productivity and reduced post-harvest wastage. A well developed pre-harvest and post-harvest infrastructure would be a key driver to plug this gap. The onus of providing food to the citizens is believed to vest with the Government, which through its policies, attempts to influence, and control the food supply scenario in the country. Given that agriculture is recognised as central to India's inclusive growth strategy, it is critical to review measures planned to boost agricultural development in the Union Budget, and look for game changers that would allow us to set ourselves a target of 10 per cent agricultural growth in the future Budgets and planning.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

The Government of India has undertaken multiple initiatives to help improve access to food and nutrition for a massive target group. These initiatives include public distribution system (PDS), mid-day meal (MDM) scheme, national food for work program (NFWP), antyodaya anna yojana (AAY), integrated child development scheme (ICDS), essential commodities act (ECA), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), Targeted PDS and National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA). However, the private sector has also played a pivotal role in securing the nation's need for food.

These include:

• Development and marketing of high yielding seed varietals, thereby, increasing productivity.

• Development and marketing of pest, weed, disease and crop-specific pesticides, thereby, reducing crop loss.

•Development and marketing of soil and nutrient specific fertilisers and micro-nutrients, thereby, ensuring crop nutrition.

•Development of warehousing and collateral management services, thereby, ensuring crop security.

•Development of better farm equipments, thereby, reducing crop wastage.

Despite 60 plus years since independence, we find that the farming constituency today is grappling with numerous challenges.

Some of these include:

•Use of traditional and outdated methods of production hence resulting in low productivity.

•Inadequate research and outdated extension systems and methods.

•Inefficient agri-supply chain management and aggregation of produce.

•Inadequate post harvest infrastructural facilities

•Lack of adequate market information and access

•Insufficient and high rate of credit

Clearly, well co-coordinated action on multiple fronts by the Government as well as the private sector on development of the pre and post-harvest infrastructure is the key solution theme to increase productivity and reduce post harvest wastage. A well coordinated action will lead to adequately addressing the nation's need for food in years to come. Some of these actions should include: Developing linkages between research extension and training facilities to ensure a speedy delivery of yield enhancing and crop protecting products, concepts and actions.

Developing terrain and crop-specific farm equipments which are available at modest prices, so as to enhance the level of mechanisation.

Investment in providing well demonstrated, water conserving and yield enhancing drip irrigation facilities.

Early adaptation of well proven and ably demonstrated agricultural inputs, which have led to better economic returns in western geographies.

Encouraging entrepreneurs and businessmen to set up integrated dairy plants. Milk is considered as a perfect food in many aspects given its fair blend of nutritional components. A growing and more affluent population will have a growing demand for more nutrition.

Investment in infrastructure for storing, aggregating, cleaning, sorting, grading and packaging of crops.

Speeding up the APMC reform process to enable private companies to participate in the farm economy, will result in better returns to the farmers due to a better price discovery mechanism. It will also help in establishing farmer's direct linkage with retailers through development of terminal markets and direct access to wholesale markets, and bring in efficiencies in the agri-supply chain.

Development of large scale and modern logistics facilities and better quality of rural roads for timely movement of produce from point of production to markets and processors without value erosion and weight loss.

Development of innovative models such as agro food parks to directly link farmers to processors, reduce wastage and increase processing capacity.

(The writer is Founder, Managing Director and CEO, YES Bank.)

(This article was published on April 17, 2011)

Genetically modified cows produce 'human' milk

By Richard Gray, Science Correspondent 9:00PM BST 02 Apr 2011
262 Comments

Scientists have created genetically modified cattle that produce "human" milk in a bid to make cows' milk more nutritious.

Researchers say they are able to create cows that produce milk containing a human protein called lysozyme Photo: PA

 The scientists have successfully introduced human genes into 300 dairy cows to produce milk with the same properties as human breast milk. 

Human milk contains high quantities of key nutrients that can help to boost the immune system of babies and reduce the risk of infections.

The scientists behind the research believe milk from herds of genetically modified cows could provide an alternative to human breast milk and formula milk for babies, which is often criticised as being an inferior substitute.

They hope genetically modified dairy products from herds of similar cows could be sold in supermarkets. The research has the backing of a major biotechnology company.

The work is likely to inflame opposition to GM foods. Critics of the technology and animal welfare groups reacted angrily to the research, questioning the safety of milk from genetically modified animals and its effect on the cattle's health.

SOURCE :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/geneticmodification/8423536/Genetically-modified-cows-produce-human-milk.html

Swiss researcher shows natural breeding better than GMOs

Posted May 9, 2011 - 20:00 by Chris Nova

A Swiss researcher has developed a new apple that is resistant to disease, appealing to the palate, and easy to grow, all without using genetic modification.

According to Natural News, it took Swiss orchardist and researcher Markus Kobelt twenty years of careful research and development to come up with the new apple variety. The RedLove apple is said to be "sweet, tangy and delicious."
  
For a long time, researchers from other food establishments have been trying to create a GM apple that has more nutrients, that is more resistant to disease and pests, and attractive to growers and consumers. However, Kobelt did it first with his non-GM variety, which he was able to create using natural breeding methods and cross-pollination techniques.
  
Amazingly he didn’t have to use any GM to beat the companies who usually do a lot of gene splicing to make new varieties of crops. This means that the RedLove apple has none of the serious health risks that many GM varieties do. It’s a big win for natural agricultural methods.
  
"These varieties of new apple have been created through non-GE (genetically engineered) techniques which is fantastic," said Claire Bleakley from GE Free NZ in Food and Environment, a non-profit organization working to raise awareness about the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). "It cannot be logical to spend millions of taxpayers’ dollars and research resources on a red GE apple we know could have dangers to the environment and people health and is simply not acceptable to the market, and already exists as a non-GE variant."
  
The RedLove apple works well if it’s used raw or cooked and it has a distinctively awesome red color. It has much higher levels of antioxidants, and it resists scab disease. And all of these amazing traits were instilled the old fashioned way with no genetic alterations in a Frankenstein lab.
  
Food activists say that the development of the RedLove apple is a strong example of why GMO foods are second-rate and unnecessary. In addition to being dangerous to animals, the environment and humans, GMOs don’t provide any benefits for the agriculture industry over natural varieties. Fruits and vegetables and plants can be naturally bred to have the most desirable characteristics.

Source: http://www.tgdaily.com/general-science-brief/55827-swiss-researcher-shows-natural-breeding-better-than-gmos#H2ifXTe4JA70RPew.99

Mela begins with a call to promote millets

The Hindu | STAFF REPORTER |BANGALORE, February 6, 2011

Farmers from Karnataka, neighbouring States are taking part

The two-day ‘Siridhaanya Mela' (millet mela) began at Gandhi Bhavan here on Saturday. Farmers from across the State and a handful from other States are participating in the event.

The mela has been jointly organised by the National Agricultural Innovation Project, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Pristine Organics and Sahaja Organics.

Anil Kumar, coordinator of Millet Network of Karnataka, told The Hindu that area under millet cultivation had decreased drastically over the years. Quoting statistics complied by the Millets Network of India, he said between 1956 and 1961, millets were cultivated on 36.2 million hectares in the country. This came down to 21.31 million hectares during 2001-06.

“With the decrease in the area of cultivation, several varieties of millet such as akale, same, navane and oodalu have become rare. These varieties are not easily available even in agricultural universities. It is, therefore, important to preserve these traditional varieties,” he said.

He said that millets must be promoted through the Public Distribution System. “Since they are high in nutrition, millets can be included in the food served in hostels and anganwadis. This will also help farmers cultivating millets,” he added.

K.C. Raghu from Pristine Organics said food security was confined to wheat and rice. “We have an enormous insecurity with regard to oil seeds, pulses and millets. The death of diversity includes death of languages, heritage, ethos, traditions and food crops… all in the name of modernity, development and increasing GDP,” he said.

“Millets are more nutritious than wheat and rice, but there is not enough information about their nutritional factors.” Rama K. Nayak from UAS, Dharwad, N.R. Shetty from Sahaja Samrudha, and Vijay Jardai from Beej Bachao Andolan in Uttarakhand, were present.

---

Two-day event is being held at Gandhi Bhavan

‘Area under millet cultivation has decreased drastically over the years'

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/mela-begins-with-a-call-to-promote-millets/article1160915.ece

'Wild relatives' can save our food supply, says crop diversity group

AGRICULTURE |

• Date 22.12.2010

Climate change threatens many of the world's main food crops, which are designed for maximum yields under particular conditions. One group says the genetic variety of wild crops could help adapt them to the future.

Small temperature changes have big effects on rice crops

Domesticated varieties of rice, wheat, maize and potatoes make up much of the world's food crops and are bred to thrive under certain conditions.

However, some experts warn that these crops could become vulnerable to global warming as optimal conditions change across the planet.

Climate change is expected to have multiple impacts on agricultural productivity, especially in areas of the developing world that are already experiencing high levels of food insecurity.

For example, in southern Africa, the yields for maize, a vital crop in a region already suffering from chronic hunger, are predicted to fall by up to 30 percent within just 20 years.

A growing population will put added pressure on the food supply. The world's population is expected to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, which will require an estimated 70 percent increase in global agricultural production, according to the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Making use of the genetic variety contained in wild crops – the ancestors of today's food crops – could help secure the world's food supply by helping modern crops adapt to climate change, according to the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

Tough ancestors for a harsh climate

Wild seeds have the traits needed to deal with climate change, Fowler said

In partnership with the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and $50 million (38 million euros) of funding from the government of Norway, the Trust has launched a campaign to collect, save and utilize these wild plants.

The wild ancestors of today's food crops were typically very tough and able to grow in conditions that are hostile for today's agriculture, according to Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

"Some of them are extremely heat resistant or drought tolerant," he said. "If you look forward and consider the kind of projections being made in terms of climate change, these are exactly the kind of qualities agricultural crops will need in the near future."

Biodiversity: A life-saver

Finding the right wild relative makes crops more robust

New climates will affect agriculture within the next 50 years, Fowler said.

Plants will have to adapt to variable temperatures, droughts, floods or different pests and diseases. He pointed to rice as an example of where wild crop varieties could benefit modern crops.

At a critical stage in the flowering process for rice, even a one-degree rise in temperature could cut yields by 10 percent.

Most high-yield varieties of rice flower during the heat of the day and a few degrees temperature change could cut yields by up to 40 percent, Fowler said.

But some wild rice relatives flower at night and if that characteristic could be incorporated into farmed rice it could save millions of tons of rice "and thousands of lives," said Fowler.

The wild relatives of today's food crops make up only a tiny fraction of the seeds currently held in the world's gene banks.

Although plant breeders have incorporated many traits from the wild versions of crops in the past, the resulting plants have never been comprehensively collected or conserved, according to the Global Crop Diversity Trust.

Many are in danger because of climate change or rapid habitat loss. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, estimated that a fifth of the world's plants are threatened with extinction.

"Diversity equals resilience in the biological world, which is why this project is vital to the survival of agriculture," said Paul Smith, Director of Kew's Millennium Seed Bank.

Wild plants: A good investment

Maize is another crop that could suffer under climate change

Wild crop forms annually contribute more than $100 billion to commercial agriculture, according to Fowler's estimates.

One example cited by the Global Crop Diversity Trust of how a "wild relative" can save a modern crop goes back to the 1970s, when rice harvests across Asia were hit by an outbreak of grassy stunt virus.

Scientists screened more than 10,000 samples of wild and locally cultivated rice plants for resistance to the disease and found it in a wild relative, oryza nivara, growing in India. The gene has been incorporated into most new varieties since that discovery.

Norwegian Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim said the project represented "one of the most concrete steps taken to date to ensure that agriculture and humanity, adapts to climate change. At a more fundamental level, the project also demonstrates the importance of biodiversity and genetic resources for human survival."

Solheim added that the Scandinavian country, which provided the Trust's initial funding, is committed to conserving the world's plant biodiversity and built the Svalbard Global Seed Vault on the Arctic island of Spitsbergen in 2008, to store seed samples safely for posterity.

A race against time

It can take 10 years until new seeds are available

The international campaign will involve research centers, agricultural institutes, botanical gardens and local people around the globe, who will search out the plants and collect them.

The project is focusing on 23 crops considered to be the most important food crops, including rice, wheat, maize, potatoes, beans and peas. The time scale is 10 years, as the wild plants collected cannot be used directly in modern agriculture and because it takes seven to 10 years to breed a new crop variety.

"You have to cross the plant with a domesticated form to see what characteristics it actually has: Drought resistance, heat resistance during flowering good pest or disease resistance," explained Fowler. "You can't plant the wild plants, farmers want domesticated, higher yield varieties and so somehow traits from these wild plants have to be used in the process of making new, more modern varieties."

The results will be entered into a database and made available to plant-breeders and any other interested parties around the globe.

Ultimately, the seeds will be used to produce crop varieties that can cope with climate change.

The project is a race against time. A rapidly rising population and increased demand for meat means global agriculture production will have to double in the next 50 years, said Fowler, adding that if climate change continues in line with the most conservative estimates it would be difficult to keep up current agriculture output.

He described climate change as the biggest challenge agriculture has faced in the last 12,000 years. And the partners in the campaign believe the natural diversity in older varieties, the "wild relatives," will be the most important tool in addressing the challenge of future food security.

Author: Irene Quaile, Sean Sinico
Editor: Nathan Witkop

Source: http://www.dw.de/wild-relatives-can-save-our-food-supply-says-crop-diversity-group/a-14731495

WATCH : Free Training in Organic Farming in India by Deepak Suchde

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vF4ZPjaBoY

WATCH Folk Rice Dr Debal Deb

Anupam Paul

Uploaded on 30 Nov 2010

India had a rich treasure of 82000 indigenous rice varieties and in Bengal we had more than 5500 varieties.These region specific varieties may be termed folk varieties.It has many typical and varied characters ranging from short duration to long duration,fine to bold,one grain to two/three grains per rice,purple rice Khara,high yielder (5-6 ton an ha) to low yielder,scented to non scented,It can be grown in marginal land like deep water to dry scanty rainfall area etc.After the Green Revolution these are fast dwindling from farmers' filed.Only a handful of folk rice are extant in farmers field.Ecologist Dr Debal Deb first initiated folk rice conservation work way back in 1997-98 in Basudha of Bankura District of West Bengal.He has now 690 folk varieties and it is the largest non governmental seed bank in eastern India.He characterized 416 folk varieties( Seeds of Tradition Seeds Of Future,2005,Navdanya,New Delhi) Inspired by his work Mr Anupam Paul of Agricultural Training Centre Fulia(Phulia),Nadia,West Bengal has initiated almost same work in 2001.He has now 205 folk rice varieties.Some farmers also realized the importance of conservation and they have started.Mr Avra Chakraborty of Burdwan has also initiated conserving our rich bio resources. There are more than 30 ha of folk rice in Ausgram Block of Burdwan and Mr Sourin Chaterjee and others have taken keen interest in this matter.farmers have found an effective alternative to input intensive modern rice varieties(HYV).Keralasundari give 4-5 ton a ha which is higher or same as popular modern variety Mtu 7029.Conservation of bio diversity helps in maintaining future food security.

SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7WiKL953sY

‘Organic farming is the only hope'

Special Correspondent | Thursday, Jul 15, 2010 | The Hindu

SHIMOGA: State Bharatiya Janata Party Raitha Morcha vice-president Shambhulinga Hegde regretted that children of farmers who should have derived pride and pleasure in being engaged in cultivation had chosen to be industrial workers.

He was inaugurating a meeting of the district BJP Raitha Morcha here on Wednesday.

He remembered the good times when farmers were self-sufficient and arranged the sowing of seeds and organic manure themselves. But with the passage of time, the situation changed and farmers started depending on the government as well as companies.

Mr. Hegde pointed out that situation might turn serious if the supply of seeds and fertilizer was not made on time. “Organic cultivation appeared to be the only solution to this predicament,” he said and asked farmers to derive maximum benefit from the schemes being formulated by the government to popularise organic farming.

District president of BJP Raitha Morcha Bhukanth, who presided over the function, said that it was the complete dependence of farmers on chemical fertilizer that had led to the present crisis. He said that farmers could come out of it if they switched over to organic farming.

District Raitha Morcha general secretary Nagaraj, district BJP general secretary S. Dattatri, members of the Morcha Ashok Nayak, Gangadhar and Suresh were present.