South Asia

Arsenic source found: US researchers have identified the source of arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh that affects 25 million people in the country. The scientists studied water samples from man-made ponds and rice fields in Munshiganj district, the countrys rice-bowl. They found that water with high arsenic content originated in the man-made ponds while water with lower arsenic content came from the rice fields.

Instant rice

soaked in water, the parboiled rice grains expanded, softened and were ready to eat, surprisingly. Sharma had heard about rice that can be eaten without cooking but for the first time he saw it happen in front of his eyes.

Drought unleashes starvation

RAJKUMARI KUNWAR, 70 years old, lay inert on her cot when a few people entered her small hut in Rajharakharmi village on July 23. They could count the ribs on her frail body. The pots and pans lying around were covered in dust. An aluminium glass lay toppled by her bed.

The scent that sells

THIS is the variety of rice without which biryani, the royal gastronomical delight, would not feature so prominantly in the history pages on Mughal influence in India. Aromatic, long-grained, nonsticky are the words that describe it. It is the Basmati. India grows 1.6 million tonnes annually. Two-thirds is exported every year. India claims its traditional knowledge of the climate, the soil and the crop

Pests ruin paddy on 89,000 ha

DROUGHT conditions triggered a pest attack in 12 paddy growing districts of Orissa. The swarming caterpillars (Spodoptera mauritia) ruined crops on 89,000 hectares (ha) of the four million ha under paddy cultivation in the state. Sambalpur district was the worst affected; paddy crops on nearly 33,000 ha were destroyed by the pest, called leda poka in Orissa. In Malkangiri district, farms were also attacked by stem borer pests and bacterial leaf blight disease.

Diminishing returns

Wilted crops dot the countryside; farmers cry for water, electricity "August is the time when we have at least 3.5 feet (one metre) tall bajra, but this year the land looks as barren as nothing has ever been sown here," said Mewa Singh. "It drizzled just once in July. I have never seen this in 50 years of my life."

News for farmers

Plant growth promoters are naturally produced molecules that increase crop yield. Developing them for commercial use is difficult. The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) received a US patent in May, this year, for developing a promoter, isolated from a medicinal plant. Anil Kumar Singh, Deputy Director of the chemistry division, spoke to Savvy Soumya Misra An ongoing project

Shrimp lose shine in Bangladesh

Soil salinity and falling global prices push farmers to agriculture An increasing number of shrimp farmers in Bangladesh are going back to paddy farming. They don't find the business lucrative anymore. Reason? "Shrimp farming has rendered our village saline...Even groundwater has become too salty to drink," said Krishnapada Mandal.

Rice delight

Rice has different gastronomical connotations to different people. It could mean the aromatic biryani or Sambhar-rice or simply dal-chawal. Rice is also top priority of GM pushers and farmers and activists are doing whatever it takes to keep them at bay. After rounds of protests, petitions and public awareness it is the turn of festivals.

Paddy sells cheap in Kerala

Season turns bad. No rainfall after planting, plenty after harvest WEATHER played spoiler for paddy farmers in Kerala's Kuttanad region. During the growing period, when the plants need plenty of rain, a dry spell prevailed leading to black grain disease which reduced yield. Then, heavy showers for three days, soon after harvest, from March 12-15,