IMPHAL: Manipur was one of the eight States rewarded for significant agricultural productions. President Pranab Kumar Mukherjee handed over to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi a cash of Rs 2 crore, one citation and one certificate in a solemn function held today at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

From among the small State category Manipur and Nagaland have been selected. Officials did not furnish details of the reported glut production in agriculture in Manipur. Because Manipur has been importing even ubiquitous items like rice, flour and all other food items from other States in general and Assam in particular.

The use of technologically advanced seeds is currently much lower in the production of rice than in other crops

Rice output in India can be raised at least 15-20 per cent through increased use of hybrid seeds, a Rabobank study said. The use of technologically advanced seeds is currently much lower in the production of rice than in other crops. Of the total annual rice output in India — around 99 million tonnes, according to US Department of Agriculture estimates for the 2012-13 season — only three per cent is produced through hybrid seeds. The remaining quantity comes through breeding of conventional seeds.

The agriculture sector witnessed record foodgrains output of 257.44 million tonnes in this year enabling the country to become world's largest rice exporter for the first time, but the monsoon played spoilsport dashing farmers' hopes of an encore in 2013.

A hefty increase of Rs 1 lakh crore in farm credit target to Rs 5.75 lakh crore was a major highlight for the sector in 2012, while the continuing farmers suicide and the reports of a Parliamentary panel and a Supreme Court appointed committee recommending ban on field trial in GM crops were setbacks.

Market leaders, Dutch follows tringent quality control

The potato has a 12,000-year-old history but an even brighter future as a crop that is set to replace rice as a staple in the Asian rice-consuming countries. It requires less amount of water compared to other basic food products, without compromising the nutrition value. Potato, therefore, is increasingly being promoted, in the genetically modified organism-free European Union (EU), as the foremost solution for meeting the increased food demand for an estimated 6 billion world population by 2030.

Madhya Pradesh, on course for constant progress, has yet another feather in its cap lined up.

Chances of the food security Bill becoming a law in the near future have dimmed with Parliament’s standing committee on food not submitting its recommendations in the winter session, which ended on Thursday.

“There is no possibility of submitting the report in the winter session of Parliament, as all the evidences are not yet ready with us,” Vilas Muttemwar, chairman of the committee, said.

Farmers had sown rabi crops like wheat and pulses in 48.21 million hectare till last week, about three per cent higher than the year-ago period, according to the Agriculture Ministry.