Blueprint for agricultural bio-energy sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture of China has recently issued the "Development Program for the Agricultural Bio-Energy Sector (2007-2015)". It is requested to promote the energy transformation and utilization of agricultural biomass, ensure the grain supply security of the state, rationally plant energy crops such as sugarcane, sweet...

Seeds may have to pass govt test.
Byline: Rajat Guha & Mayur Shekhar Jha NEW DELHI: Private seed makers, such as Monsanto, Bayer and Novartis, may soon have to get their seeds tested compulsorily by accredited rating agencies prior to registering them. Bowing to the opinion of a parliamentary standing panel, which submitted its...

IARI not for Comm Min Basmati def.
Byline: Nidhi Nath Srinivas NEW DELHI: Virtually all the delicious-smelling rice varieties grown in the north may be able to call themselves basmati if the government accepts a proposal from boffins in the agriculture ministry to substantially widen the definition of the unique grain. While...

Fertiliser scam: HC notice to govt.
Byline: Ravi Dayal PATNA: The Patna High Court on Thursday directed the state government and the agriculture production commissioner to state within a week whether they are going to hold an inquiry into the fertiliser subsidy scam that allegedly took place between 1994 and 1998. ...

Big trouble in little valley.
Byline: Supriya Kurane In vineyards across the Nashik valley, barely a 4-hour drive from Mumbai, ripe bunches of grapes are waiting to be harvested. It is still a few weeks for grapes to be picked but as enterprising grape farmers have slowly shifted to growing wine grape...

Gov't beefs up investment in corn production, post-harvest facilities.
Byline: MELODY M. AGUIBA The government is reviving the Grains Highway corn bulk handling program but will initially focus on a P4.5 billion post-harvest program at farm level to make the country's dreams of corn sufficiency and corn export more realizable. Department of Agriculture (DA)...

EC tells Pawar to explain sugar sops.
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has sent a notice to food and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar alleging breach of the model code of conduct by announcing sops for sugarcane farmers and sugar mills at a time when key sugar-producing state of Uttar Pradesh prepares for elections. The EC has...

Call won't be an option in wheat import tenders.
NEW DELHI: As a debate rages between the finance and food ministries over whether or not to go in for a domestic tender for wheat to make up for short supply, one thing is certain: there will be no more call options for import tenders. "The call...

76 dogs rescued at quarantine checkpoint.
Byline: DEXTER A. SEE TUBA, Benguet - Personnel of the Department of Agriculture's (DA) quarantine division, Tuba municipal police station, and Animal Kingdom Foundation rescued recently 76 dogs at a quarantine checkpoint established at Poyopoy on Marcos Highway here. Arrested in the act of transporting...

Cong deflects wheat 'scam' query to Pawar.
NEW DELHI: The Congress has decided to play safe by putting the onus of explaining the recent wheat import decision on Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. With the Opposition and the Left making the government sweat for importing wheat at double the domestic procurement prices on the back of...