Contaminating millets

Millets, suddenly, are a focus area for the Union Ministry of Agriculture.

Letters - August 31, 2012

Organic elitism Big cities and towns are seeing a spurt in restaurants and shops selling all forms of organic products but the story of the livelihood of small farmers remains bleak (‘Organic universe’, July 16-31, 2012).

Maharashtra diverting water from Vidarbha farmers to power plants: Greenpeace report

The Maharashtra government has been diverting water meant for irrigating farmlands in drought-prone Vidarbha region and supplying it to coal-based power plants set up by private companies, alleges a report by non-profit Greenpeace. It said at least 398.87 million cubic metre (mcm) water was diverted each year between 2003 and 2011. This water could have helped irrigate approximately 79,774 hectares (ha) of farmland.

Will diesel subsidy help farmers tide over drought?

National Rainfed Area Authority reports excessive withdrawal of ground water; many farmers have abandoned their crops

Bundled in a sacred basket

At a time when millions of tonnes of foodgrains are rotting across the country due to storage crisis, tribal farmers of Jharkhand are safely storing their grains in the traditional mora. Made of ropes of rice straw, mora is an airtight container that safeguards grains against pests and rotting. In states like Punjab and Haryana, rice straw is treated as waste and burnt after harvest.

Forgotten healers

Potential help

BESIDES inducing extreme rainfall and prolonged droughts, changing climate has made traditional wisdom of farmers defunct. Earlier, they would read signs of nature— flowering time of trees to egg laying by birds—to predict weather and decide on sowing and harvesting. But with climate change, farmers find they can no longer rely on their native wisdom.

A tab on wishlist

When Sangeet Srivastava laid his hands on the Ubislate 7 tablet, he was sorely disappointed. The second year student at the National School of Drama in New Delhi was swayed by the initial frenzy in the wake of the launch of the world’s cheapest tablet last year. Ubislate 7 is the alter ego of Aakash tablet, the brainchild of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Letters - August 15, 2012

It’s business as usual

Drought and livestock

As livestock economy becomes larger than the foodgrain economy, government’s conventional drought management strategy needs an overhaul More than the country’s stock market, it is the livestock economy to which Prime Minister’s appeal of unleashing the “animal spirit” is applicable. Particularly when the country faces the threat of a severe drought.