India’s Livestock Economy is in Danger
Livestock contributes about 4.11% to the total GDP of India and 25.6% to the agricultural GDP, this sector strengthens the economic base of rural India. For example, the dairy sector alone has propelled India to become the largest milk producer globally. For example, dairy, being the largest agricultural commodity in India, contributes 5% to the…
Activists call out FSSAI for increasing permissible level of pesticides in Indian herbs, spices
Much to the outrage of activists and scientists, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) increased the maximum residue limit (MRL) of pesticides in herbs and spices by a whopping 10 times. The order dated April 8, 2024, revealed that the MRL of pesticides has increased substantially from 0.01 milligrammes per kilogramme (mg /…
A scientifically-evolved and truly accountable FSSAI need of the hour
Nestle accused of varying levels of sugar content in products for India and European nations We can’t let the FSSAI to get away with it. There are 26 scientific committees that FSSAI has constituted for setting standards and yet if the norms are so relaxed it becomes obvious that the ‘conflict of interest’ is much…
FIFI Collaborates with DAHD and FSSAI to Navigate Food and Agricultural Imports
The Forum of Indian Food Importers (FIFI), convened a significant regulatory session in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This initiative came into being on the context of FIFI organizing the largest U.S. Agricultural Trade Mission to India and offering an…
Back make in India with testing in India
People are fed by the food industry, which pays no attention to health … and are treated by the health industry, which pays no attention to food,” was the caustic observation of American writer and environmentalist Wendell Berry. While this critiques the organised medical profession’s inattention to nutrition and the role of the food industry,…
Why Farmers Are Standing Up Against Free Trade
My mom stood next to my grandfather, both crying as he emptied the bulk tank and dumped his milk in protest. It was the 1960s, and dairy farmers in Wisconsin and elsewhere who were members of the National Farmers Organization (NFO) were destroying their milk to cause shortages in supply chains and improve prices. They were desperate,…
Green and Dry fodder Demand may reach 1,012 and 631 mil tonnes by 2050
INDIA’s achievement of transforming itself from a milk-deficient country to the world’s largest milk producer has been exemplary. With a stock of over 136 million female bovines producing about 230 million tonnes of milk in 2022-23, the Indian dairy sector exhibits strong growth potential. However, poor productivity of Indian milch cattle is a major cause…
Time for consumers to stand in solidarity with dairy farmers-Devinder Sharma
WHAT began as a small effort to help French dairy farmers overcome distress has galvanised into a unique consumer movement, slowly spreading its wings globally. While ensuring that the agri-food industry works towards a healthy transformation leading to sustainable and regenerative farming systems, French food cooperative brand C’est qui le Patron (‘Who’s the Boss?’) has…
Household income of small farmers from livestock increased to 16% : ICRIER study
Potential for increasing farmers’ incomes lies primarily in moving towards animal husbandry and pisciculture, finds a study led by prominent agricultural economist Ashok Gulati and three other researchers. Titled “New Deal for Agriculture for Viksit Bharat@2047”, the study, which was published by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) earlier this month, recommends five…
Cow methane emissions are reduced by 15% with balanced diet -NDDB report
Abinaya Tamilarasu said her four cows are part of the family. She has a degree in commerce from a local college, but prefers being home milking cows and tending to her family’s land. “Our family cannot let farming go, it’s a way of life for us,” said the 28-year-old, who lives on her family farm…