Variety has been developed by Peru’s International Potato Center and its genetic material shared with Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Potato Research Institute.
West Bengal invoked the Essential Commodities Act to impose restrictions on potato's storage, trade, and transport. It pits consumers in Kolkata against those in Guwahati, Ranchi, and Bhubaneswar.
Fourteen senators have written a letter to Biden administration expressing opposition to reclassifying potato as grain in forthcoming dietary guidelines.
In 2019, PepsiCo sued some Indian farmers for cultivating FC5 potato variety, accusing them of infringing its patent. It sought over Rs 10mn each for alleged patent infringement.
Last year's high profits and lower chances of the crop being destroyed by stray cattle drove farmers in UP to grow potatoes over wheat, leading to higher supply than demand.
GM potato is resistant to the devastating fungal disease late blight, while GM maize is drought-resistant. Ethiopia is also also holding trials of GM enset (a type of banana).
PPVFRA has revoked a plant variety protection certificate granted to PepsiCo India for the FC5 potato, a special variety that was grown exclusively for Lay’s chips.
The increase can be seen mainly in all horticulture crops such as fruits, vegetables, aromatic and medicinal plants, spices and plantation crops, except flowers.
Contrary to naysayers, the RSS practices what it preaches. It is closer to the Gandhian teaching of improving the individual morally and spiritually to change the external environment.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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