GM Foods: The Road Ahead for India

India's government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods because no GM crops (except GM Cotton) are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the country's endemic poverty and feed its exploding population.

Dr. Raina discusses a possible roadmap for this explosive, but important debate.

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EVENT ALERT

Workshop on Management of Insects in Stored Grains & Foods
July 22, 2011
New Delhi
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Workshop on Management of Insects in Stored Grains & Foods
July 25, 2011
Hyderabad
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6th Dairy And Agri Expo 2012
February 11-13, 2012 Punjab
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ILDEX India 2011
September 15-17, 2011 Chennai
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KISAN : India’s Largest Agri Show
Dec 14-18, 2011
Pune
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Bio Fach India international Organic trade Fair
Nov10-12, 2011 Bangalore
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Innovative and modern Technologies for Agricultural Productivity, Food Security and Environmental Management
July 22-23 2011 Mangalore
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The Buzz(News In a Nutshell)

Goa Dairy Increases Milk Price For Farmers
The Nagaland State Government wants to put in place a quality regime for trade in eggs and other poultry products
Govt mulls cash subsidy for fertilizer retailers
India's onion export down by 31% to 12.89 MT in 2010-11
Centre procures 25.47-mn tonnes of wheat due to robust production
Ban on wheat, rice exports from govt stock
Shortage of paddy seeds affect raising kharif crop in Orissa
Agri sector grows by 6.6 pc in FY'11 on record foodgrain output
Groundnut oil prices firm on higher demand

Usher Agro Signed MoU with NBHC

Usher Agro Ltd, leading rice miller in India, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with National Bulk Handling Corporation Limited (NBHC) Ltd. for providing storage and handling of food grains across India for the company on a long-term basis. In this context, NBHC Ltd is building its first warehousing complex with silo with a capacity of 50,000 MT for storage of food grains exclusively for the company at Chhata district, Mathura, UP.
This will result in ease of operations for the company, according to a press release.

India's First GM vegetable is still waiting for clearance

Brinjal or baigan, is a very important common man’s vegetable in India. Low in calories and high in nutritional value. Brinjal is prone to attack from insect pests and diseases, the most serious and destructive of which is the fruit and shoot borer (FSB) Leucinodes orbonalis. There is no existing brinjal varieties with adequate resistance to FSB in India.

Keeping all the above points in mind Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) has developed Bt brinjal using a transformation process similar to one used in development of Bt- cotton.

According to the latest press release Explore came to know that Mahyco is awaiting the decision of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) for environmental release of insect-resistant Bt brinjal. According to a resource person who spoke to Explore, Mahyco looks forward to a positive decision because it will help millions of our brinjal farmers who have been suffering from the havoc caused by the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (BFSB). Bt brinjal will help them tackle this pest in an environment-friendly manner and increase yields and farm income.

Delhi people will soon taste Tihar Jail's Bakery Products

Soon bakery products of Tihar Jail brand will be available in shops and stores across Delhi and the NCR (National Capital Region).

Tihar Jail (TJ) brand products, which according to officials are in huge demand, are available in 29 stores including Kendriya Bhandar as of now.
However, now most shops and stores in the city and the NCR will sell bread, bakery biscuits, buns, cake (muffins), rusk, namkeens, namakpaare, wafers, patties, pickle, papad, vermicelli and so on made by Tihar inmates.

TJ outlet is expected to open in Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital,which will be the first hospital to give its patients bread made by Tihar inmates, but it is yet not been confirmed. Talking to Explore Dr. Moni Deepa dietitian from DDU hospital said that it will be a good move, as more the products sell, the more it increases the job opportunities for the inmates inside the prison, but currently food department has no clue about opening of TJ outlet in hospital premises. There are possibilities of having this venture under administrative consideration, of which staff is not aware off.

Mythology of Agriculture

According to Hindu legend, Kanya Devi, an Avatar of Parvati, was to marry Siva, but as he failed to show up on his wedding day, the rice and other grains meant for the wedding feast remained uncooked and remain unused thereafter. As the legend goes, the uncooked grains turned into stones as time went by. Some believe that the small stones which look like rice on the shore today, are indeed grains of the wedding that was never solemnized. Kanya Devi is now considered a virgin goddess who blesses pilgrims and tourists who flock the town.