New Delhi: Some alarming revelations have surfaced from a new study. A record 2.5 lakh farmers have committed suicide in India over the last 13 years. Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar's home state Maharashtra tops the list. It has the worst record for the 10th consecutive year. According to The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, more than 2,16, 000 farmers have committed suicide since 1997. P Sainath, Rural Affairs editor...
08:06 AM, Jan 18, 2011
Islamabad: In a decision that could soften prices of the bulb in the neighbouring country, Pakistan's Ministry of Food and Agriculture has agreed to the move to continue onion exports to India. This is due to adequate production of the vegetable despite the floods that devastated agricultural lands across Pakistan last year, said an official of the ministry. However, the Commerce and Foreign Ministries here are opposed to onion exports,...
03:43 PM, Jan 10, 2011
The change in sentiment is palpable on Dalal Street. Just two months ago, stock market pundits were vying with each other to assign aggressive ‘fair value’ targets to BSE Sensex and NSE Nifty. The projected earnings of Sensex stocks in 2011-12, in the range of Rs. 1,250-1,275 were quickly discounted into the price and people started talking about profitability expectations for the following year, 2012-13. But the warning signs were...
10:45 AM, Jan 04, 2011
Nashik: While onion prices spiral, the onion farmer seems to be struggling with crop loss and even lower yields. In Nashik, the country's onion growing centre, anger and desperation loom large. Subhash Khotwal is an onion farmer in Nashik whose major part of the onion yield turned out be rotten. His four acres of onion farming resulted in harvest of tears. While two spells of unseasonal rains have already dashed...
11:42 PM, Dec 21, 2010
New Delhi: At the epicentre of the onion trade in Nashik, prices came down at the same speed at which it went up on Monday. But the Agriculture Minister and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Fedration (NAFED) seemed confused. NAFED Managaing Director, Sanjeev Chopra said, "We are unable to understand why this happened because the arrivals both in Delhi and Nashik markets were quite alright. But for common man, it will...
10:11 PM, Dec 21, 2010
Pune: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who until recently drew flak for hike in prices of essential commodities, on Friday said he had proposed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to relieve him of the food portfolio which was vetoed by him. "I had told the Prime Minister to relieve me of sugar and food department but he did not agree. Singh told me that I have to look after this if...
07:29 PM, Dec 17, 2010
New Delhi: The monsoons in India herald good news as well as bad. India's Agriculture Secretary has said that with excessive rain, while there are reports of floods, there's also an expectation of bumper crop production. Water levels have gone beyond the 10-year average and increased soil moisture. India, the world's second-largest rice grower, may reap a bumper harvest of 100 million metric tons in 2010-11. It is also likely...
07:43 AM, Sep 09, 2010
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has come down heavily on Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and criticised his statements that rotting food grain cannot be distributed to the poor free of cost. "Free of cost distribution of food grain was a part of the order. Tell your Minister that distribution of rotting food grains was a part of our order and not just an observation," the court told Additional Solicitor...
01:10 PM, Aug 31, 2010
Facing high food prices after failed monsoon in 2009, India is counting heavily on normal June-September rainfall. ...
11:47 PM, May 27, 2010
Sharad Joshi is a prominent farmers' leader from Maharashtra. ...
10:37 PM, Mar 09, 2010
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday doled out sops to farmers. ...
08:50 PM, Feb 26, 2010
Chhattisgarh bureaucrat's home raided for unaccounted wealth. ...
05:24 PM, Feb 06, 2010
Punjab farmers say agriculture is increasingly becoming unviable. ...
09:16 AM, Feb 04, 2010
Congress, Opposition targeting Sharad Pawar for rising prices. ...
10:14 AM, Jan 25, 2010
Agriculture Minister says PM to held meeting of chief minister on issue. ...
03:19 PM, Jan 13, 2010
The farmer discontent is the latest political battleground. ...
03:54 PM, Nov 10, 2009
The farmers want Rs 280 per quintal for their produce. ...
05:25 PM, Nov 09, 2009
The rainfall for the country has been 24 per cent less than average. ...
08:12 PM, Oct 01, 2009
Women in villages are taking charge of agriculture and much more. ...
12:40 PM, Sep 15, 2009
A week's rain has wiped out much of the monsoon deficit. ...
12:35 AM, Sep 11, 2009
