Don't bite that apple!

The government's plans for boosting horticulture to earn foreign exchange do not take into account the hidden costs of deforestation, fertiliser …

Is permaculture a real solution to agricultural distress?

Permaculture farming, which spread across the West as part of the hippie movement, is fast gaining ground in India among subsistence farmers and …

126 ‘land deals’ backfired; most of them in Africa: GRAIN report

The failed investments involved acquisition of agricultural lands ranging from 1,000 hectares to 1.5 million hectares.

Conservation blues

Conservation of fruits may be difficult, but that is no excuse. Preservation of national assets should be given top priority

Waiting in the wings

Attempts at conserving fruit germplasm as well as creating a market for lesser-known varieties have been far from satisfactory. Also, a whole lot …

Different flavours

From major fruits like the mango, banana and citrus to minor ones like karonda and sapthei, the story is the same: genetic erosion is leading …

`Irresponsible reportage can harm business'

Vishal Nath, director, National Research Centre for Litchi (NRCL), says there is no scientific evidence to prove that acute encephalitis syndrome (…

Apples go higher in

Weather does not support traditional sweet varieties in lower regions; sour varieties replace them

Don't bite that apple!

The government's plans for boosting horticulture to earn foreign exchange do not take into account the hidden costs of deforestation, fertiliser …

Seeds bill doesn't matter in India's horticulture capital

sopan joshi meets farmer-tycoons oblivious of the Seeds Bill 2004, but hooked to a biotech future

Jharkhand’s success story of fruit plantation under MGNREGA

The state’s experience in horticulture orchards can serve as a model for the country

A mountain to climb

Cash-strapped Uttaranchal embarks on industrialisation. However, its policies are frightfully blind to green issues

Himachal farmers have an affair with flowers

Farmers in Himachal Pradesh are ditching traditional food crops to grow aromatic plants that offer higher and assured returns

Himachal farmers start growing pomegranate and cabbage, as apple lines recede due to climate change

The apple growing belt is shifting to higher altitudes and intercropping in apple orchards with vegetable crops as it experiences warmer winters …

Orchards in desert

A simple technology assures continuous moisture supply to plants, helps grow orchards in water-scarce areas

Fruit scare

Encephalitis is not only threatening lives in Bihar, but also the livelihood of litchi farmers as unconfirmed reports link the disease to the fruit

Orange tumbles

Nagpur orange’s survival hinges precariously on its return to sustainable cultivation. Farmers have woken up to this, but will the government?

Starved of fodder

Marathwada has been struggling with acute fodder shortage, but the state government has not taken any step to counter the problem

Out of favour

Focus on Alphonso has resulted in neglect of native mango varieties grown in the Western Ghats, some of which are on the brink of extinction

Rajasthan’s olive dream

An expensive project to grow imported olive trees is not yielding enough oil, and imposing other costs

Protectors dubbed criminals

Tribals in Madhya Pradesh celebrate festival to reclaim forests; officials say they are encroaching land

Mango resistance

Farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s mango belt are clear they will not allow Lucknow’s solid waste facility on their dashehari land

Growing walls

Brown breach

Forever fresh