Solar power to transform farm irrigation in Bhutan
With unpredictable monsoon patterns challenging traditional farming, a new report suggests Bhutan must fundamentally rethink its irrigation methods, advocating for solar-powered…
Agriculture
Illegal fishing, overfishing push Philippine fish stocks to historic lows: advocacy group
The warning comes at a critical time: municipal fisheries production, once the backbone of the country’s coastal food supply, has now dropped to its lowest level in over 20…
India keen to strike trade deal with US but wary about crossing red lines on agriculture, dairy
India is hesitant about broad tariff reductions due to farmers' political influence and concerns over competition with large US agri-businesses.
More stingrays, fewer sharks for sale at Singapore’s fishery ports, say researchers
Now, research by independent shark and stingray researchers Naomi Clark-Shen and Kathy Xu shows that stingrays, too, could be suffering from overharvesting.
Egg prices in Bhutan soar as shortage hits local markets
While the "One-Child, One-Egg" initiative, launched in February and having delivered about 2.4 million eggs since, has been transforming school nutrition by providing eggs to…
Depopulation complicates Japan’s rice policy; needs of farmers, consumers have diverged
The number of people whose primary occupation is in the agriculture industry has halved over the past 25 years, dropping to about 1.1 million. Their average age is 69. The number…
In Bhutan, fewer hands in field over the years, rice production in steep decline
A recent census attributes this trend to persistent labour shortages, shrinking farmland, and escalating conflict with wildlife.
Sheep farming in Bhutan’s Phobjikha declines as youth seek cities, farmers shift crops
Most villagers have now shifted focus to potato cultivation, finding sheep rearing too time-consuming and labour-intensive, while younger generations migrate to urban areas.
Middlemen, extortion push up vegetable prices in Bangladesh: report
The Daily Star obtained a copy of the report, which said middlemen hold significant dominance in the vegetable market, buying produce from farmers at low prices and selling it at…
Analysis: The bitter reality driving Pakistan’s sugar prices higher
With no effective policy cohesion and regulatory oversight, the burden continues to fall on ordinary citizens who are forced to absorb rising costs amid persistent market…