The maize debt trap: Why are tribal farmers in this Odisha district caught in a loop of debt?
Depleting soil quality and rising fertiliser costs perpetuate a crushing cycle of debt and marginalisation
Why are tomato prices going north?
Delayed monsoon, high temperature, low production, heavy rainfall, reduced supply from neighbouring states, all are to blame
Meet the Telangana Dalit women working to preserve millet biodiversity for 30 years
While the money these women make might not be as much as cash crops like sugarcane or wheat, they have managed to end hunger and ensure food …
Does India really need GM Mustard?
Botanists say that pests and insects may grow resistant to the transgenic crop after a decade or so, triggering the need for newer versions of …
Antimicrobial resistance: Intensification of food production must be sustainable
Rise in demand for meat and dairy products was reconciled through the intensification of livestock systems
Scanty rain in India’s largest state; kharif sowing hit in eastern UP
41 of 42 districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, except Varanasi, are reeling under severe rain shortfall, India Meteorological Department has reported
Dry to deluge: Incessant rain a threat to Marathwada farmers
After scanty rainfall in June & early July, Maharashtra region now has a problem of too much downpour in too short a span
A farmer becomes a labourer
The challenge for doubling farmers’ income is this foundational change in the economy of an agricultural household
Fifth edition of national bio-entrepreneurship competition launched
Over 30 industry and investment partners come forward to support bio-entrepreneurship in India through this competition
Dragon fruit: Is it the next big thing in Indian horticulture
The dragon fruit, which is indigenous to the Americas, can grow in arid and semi-arid regions with very low input cost
How Maharashtra’s tomato belt can tackle its viral menace
A plethora of viruses as well as insect vectors and pests pose an emerging threat to the tomato belt of Maharashtra; it is a wake-up call to …
‘Crop residue can boost soil health’
Andy MacDonald, manager, Rothamsted long-term experiments, Rothamsted Research, UK, speaks to Down To Earth on key findings of the Broadbalk …
Promoting agri practices in Punjab for water efficiency, better residue management
New-age machines can help save costs, water & electricity usage as well as combat the problem of stubbles
IISF 2019: Experts advise sustainable, climate-smart, diverse farming
With reduced land holdings, increasing populations and climate change looming large, this was the solution to farmers’ problems, they said
This man saved his village from flash floods, reclaimed surrounding sal forests
He constructed the first check dam in Jamtoli village in Jharkhand to ensure heavy rains don't wash away farms
This 45-year-old makes farming profitable for the entire Soliga tribe
Prakash roped in 30 Soliga farmers and 1,000 other marginal farmers and formed a collective to set up a millet processing unit in Karnataka's …
Leaves from nitrogen-rich trees can be potential fertilisers
Banaras Hindu University scientists have shown that application of leaves from nitrogen-rich trees in soil can increase the soil fertility and …
Death by pesticides: farmers continue to die as India flouts global norms
The pesticides that have killed 272 farmers in Maharashtra in the last four years are banned in most countries
Centre to roll back controversial ban on trade of cattle for slaughter
The government’s May 23 notification on changes made to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Market) Rules, 2017, …
What is pushing India's small dairy farmers out of business?
A new study establishes a link between global development in dairy industries and slowing down of local small-scale dairy business
Cocoa wilts in Ghana
Ghana, known to provide a favourable price regime to cocoa farmers, discontinues the perks as the crop price crashes in international market
The global food system still benefits the rich at the expense of the poor
Global food system issues can be traced to colonial history. It's time food production became more sustainable so that it meets the needs of …
Can farming mean a permanent renewal of life?
For the past three decades, the practice of permaculture has found acceptance from not just rural communities in India but also from urbanites …
Rs 1,402,680,000,000: India's agrarian import bill for 2015-16
This is India's agrarian import bill for 2015-16. More than three times of India's annual agriculture budget, this money could have been …
Cattle can no longer be traded for the purposes of slaughter: Centre
Sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets banned; now cattle can only be sold for ‘agricultural purposes’