Punjab to export potatoes to save farmers from glut

September 24th, 2009 BHOPAL - Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the centre to include the state among those where the Basmati rice variety is grown, officials said here Thursday. In a letter written to union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Wednesday, Chouhan requested him to direct the Export Development Authority to include Madhya Pradesh in the areas producing Basmati rice.

September 8th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - A clash between agitating farmers from Punjab and Chandigarh police left several people injured and many vehicles damaged Tuesday evening. Over 12 policemen and several farmers were injured in the violence.

September 8th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - One person was killed and several others were injured as large number of farmers staging a protest in Chandigarh clashed with the police on Tuesday. The farmers from across Punjab state were protesting against the recent hike in power tariffs by the state's electricity regulatory authority and sought better prices for their produce.

September 4th, 2009 KOLKATA - The West Bengal government has decided to sell potatoes through the public distribution system (PDS) to check the skyrocketing price of the commodity. "The state government will sell potatoes through ration shops at Rs.13 per kilogram and for that we'll have to give a Rs.9 crore subsidy a week," said state Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta.

August 31st, 2009 JALALABAD - Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has demanded the Central Government to declare Punjab as Special Agricultural Zone (SAZ) on the lines of Special Economic Zones (SEZ). Punjab having 1.3 per cent geographical area of the country was contributing 70 per cent wheat and 40 per cent rice in the national pool.

August 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Punjab has asked the central government for a drought relief package of 74.1 billion rupees. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal disclosed this while talking to reporters here on Wednesday.

July 7th, 2009 LUDHIANA - To overcome the problems caused by shortage of farm labourers and scarcity of water for irrigation, farmers in Punjab have adopted direct seeding methodology for paddy cultivation. The technique has come as a major blessing for paddy growers.

June 27th, 2009 SRINAGAR - The vegetable farmers in Kashmir valley are expecting to make a good business this year by exporting vegetable crops. This has increased hopes for a better income for all vegetable farmers, as the valley which generally does a business of around rupees 1.25 billion a year through vegetables, can now aspire for more income.

June 20th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The microbiology department of Punjab Agricultural University has developed a water testing kit to help people test water at their homes and ward off numerous water borne diseases. "From what I have surveyed, 85 percent of the water sample in Punjab is not portable.

May 27th, 2009 ABOHAR - Farmers in Abohar in Punjab suffered huge losses as their pear crop has been damaged due to excessive heat this summer. The cultivation of pears has been affected the morale of the farmers.

May 5th, 2009 AMRITSAR - Radio Pakistan in its latest programme has stated that Punjab, known for the its five rivers-Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Chenab and the Jhelum (now it Pakistan), is not getting enough water. In the latest series of Punjabi Darbar programme, Radio Pakistan has attempted to project that the Government of India has not taken enough steps to ensure that Punjab gets enough water for drinking purposes and irrigation.

May 2nd, 2009 JALALABAD - Trying to strike an emotive chord on the issue of female foeticide in Punjab - a state with one of the worst sex ratios in the country - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called upon people of the prosperous state to wash the blot of killing daughters. 'I am the proud father of three daughters.

April 24th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - The Punjab government has released over Rs.85 billion as payment to farmers for wheat procurement, considered one of the largest such exercise in the world. 'The procurement process is going on quite smoothly.

April 13th, 2009 AMRITSAR - The Sikh community on Monday celebrated the annual spring harvest festival of Baisakhi. Farmers, dressed in colourful attires, danced to 'Bhangra' beats in middle of the fields.

April 9th, 2009 ABOHAR - For centuries, women in India have contributed to the family income by working in fields shoulder to shoulder with men of their families. Today, they are trying to give farming a new definition in Punjab.