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India places focus on 'mechanization of agriculture'

The Indian government's focus in the 12th Plan will be “mechanization of agriculture” to match the growing need for higher production of food grain and to tackle labor shortages in the farm sector. The government is targeting around 6 percent annual growth in food grain yields. “To keep pace with the present population growth and consumption pattern, an average 6-7 percent annual growth in food grain production can be .....

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BRICS agricultural ministers in push for food security

AGRICULTURE ministers representing Brics countries resolved yesterday to jointly build an agricultural information and digital platform to provide more accurate long-term market forecasts for food producers and purchasers in order to reduce market speculation, which could push up food prices. There is increasing concern globally over surging food prices, which in SA have been one of the biggest inflation drivers. The ministers from Brazil, Russia, India, China and SA signed a .....

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Governors' panel mooted for farmer-industry ties

Having underscored the need to address issues to pull out the agricultural economy from problems, President Pratibha Patil on Sunday suggested a Committee of Governors to evolve mutually beneficial models for a farmer-industry partnership, focussing on rain-fed area farming. The Committee would make suitable recommendations and also prepare a concept paper to bring about an “evergreen revolution to harness the full .....

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Floods Leave Southeast Asia More Vulnerable to Food Price Shocks

Massive flooding in Thailand and elsewhere have destroyed large parcels of rice farmland, pushing rice prices up and leaving Southeast Asia at greater risk of a food price shock. The rice-consuming region is under the threat of food supply shortages after heavy rains and massive flooding destroyed crops in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and .....