Sule backs rural mart in Maharashtra.
Byline: Vasundhara Sanger (##include msid=2162032,type=11 ##) Supriya Sule (TOI Photo) MUMBAI: While talks of who would be the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's political heir are doing the rounds, his only child and Rajya Sabha MP Supriya...

State govt suspends licence of ITC.
Byline: Rajesh N Singh LUCKNOW: The state government has suspended the licence issued in favour of ITC Ltd for purchase of five lakh metric tonnes of wheat directly from farmers till June 30, 2008. A government order granting the licence to the ITC had been issued by...

Russia may ban entry of Indian farm products.
Byline: Sutanuka Ghosal & Ratna Ganguli KOLKATA: Exports of bulk tea, coffee, rice, tobacco and sesame seeds to Russia have come under threat. The Russian authorities are reported to be considering a ban on imports of plant products from India on the basis of detection of kharpa...

Consulting Engineers Listings.
* George Aull, Ph.D., P.E. Engineering Resources Corp. P.O. Box 910 Orangeburg, SC 29116, USA 803-536-6808 fax:803-531-3262 www.ercorp.net Consultation, evaluation, planning, permitting, and design of agricultural water, waste, and wastewater systems. Investigation and development of...

Relief for oilmeal exporters as government rules out ban.
Byline: Ratna Ganguli KOLKATA: In the fight between cattle and poultry feed manufacturers and oilmeal exporters over the issue of banning oilmeal exports from India, the latter have managed to get a walkover. The government has ruled out any plans to ban oilmeal exports. It...

The Greens revolution.
Byline: Nikhil Menon & Sachin Dave Indians have traditionally been growers and consumers of organic food. However, the evolution of farming techniques led to greater use of pesticides and chemicals in the food cultivation process. Today, the time has come, quite literally, to go back to one's...

Cuba seeks to double rice production.
Five new strains of rice rich in iron and zinc have been planted in the province of Villa Clara, as part of research being carried out to increase yield of this cereal in Cuba. Gladys Lopez, an official of the Armando Perera Cooperative of Credit and Services,...

Congress completes farm bill with significant benefits for specialty crops.
After more than two years of hearings, days of mark-ups, hours of debate and two Presidential vetoes, the farm bill became law in June. Titled the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, Congress approved the legislation overriding the President's veto by a wide margin. The groundwork was laid...

New scheme to boost rice output adopted.
Byline: Melody M. Aguiba The Department of Agriculture (DA) is institutionalizing its quick turnaround (QTA) program with a 100,000-hectare expansion this year which can raise rice output by an unprecedented 20 percent yearly. DA Secretary Arthur C. Yap said in a statement that government is...

Around The Nation.
Support for S & T in RP urged The role of Science and Technology (S & T) should be enhanced and further given importance to sustain the progress that the country has so far achieved, Vice President Noli L. de Castro said. In his speech...