The quantity of goods sold at the monthly government-organized produce fairs demonstrates how Cuba s food situation has eased 15 years after widespread shortages were sparked by the Soviet Union s collapse and an end to economic subsidies from the Kremlin. HAVANA Hundreds of trucks overflowing with plantains, sweet potatoes and onions converge on the Plaza of the Revolution each month as farmers sell produce to tens of thousands of people. The quantity of goods sold at the monthly...

ONE of the nation's key water experts has called for a permanent system under which cotton and rice farmers would phase down production during drought years. He said farmers producing crops such as cotton and rice would find it more difficult to operate continually every year, especially as climate change brought more extremes in weather patterns. Cotton Australia chief executive Adam Kay said farmers were already responding to the seasons, with planting rising and falling with water...

However, India, one of the large exporters, may not be able to benefit from trade expansion for a variety of reasons including tightening supplies and firming currency. Washington DC, July 6On current reckoning, world rice production may expand marginally, but world rice trade in 2007 is likely to hit a new record. A large part of this additional demand may be met by Cambodia, China, Egypt, Myanmar and Thailand, the report pointed out, adding that limited supplies and high domestic prices...

Rice as a source of electricity. Jul 08, 2007 . User rating: not rated yet (AP) -- The video game industry's annual showcase is saying goodbye to scantily clad booth babes, extravagant multimillion dollar exhibits, blaring lights and pounding music. Only a small fraction of this is utilized, for instance, to fire distillery furnaces. Researchers at Hanoi University of Technology now also want to use rice husks to generate electricity. Celebrity appearances from the likes of Paris....

I wouldn't really be a fan of this type of cooking but I tried his mushy pea sorbet with mint syrup and candied bacon anyway, in the interest of research. Molecular gastronomy is all the rage now - exploring the scientific side of cooking and essentially pushing the boundaries on what we expect from flavours and textures. Making risotto requires patience as you have to stir it almost constantly and slowly add stock to the rice. Peas and ham are great together and Richard Woodall of Cumbria...

The proposed agriculture cell might not be an extension of the Kisan Morcha which caters to the needs of the farmers and is perceived as a a pressure group. Swaminathan had made at the national executive meeting but the one vital sentence, quoted in the resolution, adequately sums up the grim picture of agriculture in India. An agriculture cell will deal with the entire gamut of agriculture in India, including welfare of the farmers. Swaminathan that the situation is deteriorating rapidly...