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The northeastern region, which comprises eight hilly states, occupies eight percent of India’s land area and is home to four percent of the country’s population, is predicted to achieve food sufficiency in five to six years, a top agricultural scientist has said.
“Powered by good climate, sufficient water and devoted manpower, the northeast region is expected to be a food sufficient area in five-six years,” Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) director general and renowned agricultural scientist S. Ayyappan told IANS in an interview here.
“With the collective efforts of the ICAR and states’ agricultural experts, we could improve food production and productivity in all the northeastern states. The deficiency of foodgrains has reduced from 8.33 percent per triennium (three years) in 2012 to 2.51 percent per triennium in 2014.”
“In the last 10 years, rice production has increased by 26.11 percent from 5.4 million tonnes to 6.8 million tonnes, but the wide demand-production gap that still exists in the dairy, fisheries and poultry sectors is a mattern of concern,” said Ayyappan, who is also the secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
Ayyappan, along with a host of top agricultural and allied sectors’ scientists from across the country, was here for ICAR’s 22nd regional council meeting.
Experts, research scholars, vice-chancellors of many agricultural universities, specialists in farming, horticulture, fisheries, animal resources, and educational institutions from across the country took part in the two-day session.
Ministers and top officials of the eight northeastern states also attended the event.
The ICAR chief said : “The northeast region can be a food surplus region by 2020-21 as the bad effect of climate change had not much impact here. Good rainfall, favourable soil conditions, a tropical situation and huge scope of organic farming could advance the food sufficiency effort.”
“As the region is a bio-diversity hot spot, rising food production and productivity made the effort much easier. However, the crisis of animal fodder is a very big concern in the region despite it being rich in animal resources.”
The agricultural scientist stressed the urgent need to stop ‘Jhum’ (slash and burn method of farming in the hill tops) cultivation by providing settled and alternative farming methods and increasing the skills of young farmers toward this.
Tribals in the northeastern states practise ‘Jhum’ cultivation. This shifting form of farming usually involves cutting down of entire forests in the hills and allowing the slashed vegetation to dry on the mountain slopes prior to burning. Rice is grown along with vegetables, maize, cotton and mustard, among others.
Tribals constitute 27 percent of northeast India’s 45.58 million people.
The ICAR chief said that the northeastern region, comprising Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim accounts for 7.8 percent of the total area under rice cultivation in India while its share in rice production is only 5.9 percent. The average rice productivity of 1.4 tonne per hectare is below the national average of 1.9 tonnes per hectare.
The northeastern states are largely dependent on Punjab, Haryana and other larger states for foodgrains and essential vegetables.
Accepting the fact that there is a growing trend of people moving away agriculture sector, the scientist said that ICAR has been introducing new methods of agriculture with more profit.
Ayyappan said that the ICAR has launched the KIRAN (Knowledge Innovation Repository of Agriculture in the Northeast) platform in 2012 to harness the power of scientific knowledge and technology innovation for strengthening agricultural production systems in the northeast region
Northeast to become food sufficient soon: ICAR chief (IANS Interview)
IANS | Agartala
May 26, 2015 Last Updated at 13:14 IST
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The northeastern region, which comprises eight hilly states, occupies eight percent of India’s land area and is home to four percent of the country’s population, is predicted to achieve food sufficiency in five to six years, a top agricultural scientist has said.
“Powered by good climate, sufficient water and devoted manpower, the northeast region is expected to be a food sufficient area in five-six years,” Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) director general and renowned agricultural scientist S. Ayyappan told IANS in an interview here.
“With the collective efforts of the ICAR and states’ agricultural experts, we could improve food production and productivity in all the northeastern states. The deficiency of foodgrains has reduced from 8.33 percent per triennium (three years) in 2012 to 2.51 percent per triennium in 2014.”
“In the last 10 years, rice production has increased by 26.11 percent from 5.4 million tonnes to 6.8 million tonnes, but the wide demand-production gap that still exists in the dairy, fisheries and poultry sectors is a mattern of concern,” said Ayyappan, who is also the secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
Ayyappan, along with a host of top agricultural and allied sectors’ scientists from across the country, was here for ICAR’s 22nd regional council meeting.
Experts, research scholars, vice-chancellors of many agricultural universities, specialists in farming, horticulture, fisheries, animal resources, and educational institutions from across the country took part in the two-day session.
Ministers and top officials of the eight northeastern states also attended the event.
The ICAR chief said : “The northeast region can be a food surplus region by 2020-21 as the bad effect of climate change had not much impact here. Good rainfall, favourable soil conditions, a tropical situation and huge scope of organic farming could advance the food sufficiency effort.”
“As the region is a bio-diversity hot spot, rising food production and productivity made the effort much easier. However, the crisis of animal fodder is a very big concern in the region despite it being rich in animal resources.”
The agricultural scientist stressed the urgent need to stop ‘Jhum’ (slash and burn method of farming in the hill tops) cultivation by providing settled and alternative farming methods and increasing the skills of young farmers toward this.
Tribals in the northeastern states practise ‘Jhum’ cultivation. This shifting form of farming usually involves cutting down of entire forests in the hills and allowing the slashed vegetation to dry on the mountain slopes prior to burning. Rice is grown along with vegetables, maize, cotton and mustard, among others.
Tribals constitute 27 percent of northeast India’s 45.58 million people.
The ICAR chief said that the northeastern region, comprising Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Sikkim accounts for 7.8 percent of the total area under rice cultivation in India while its share in rice production is only 5.9 percent. The average rice productivity of 1.4 tonne per hectare is below the national average of 1.9 tonnes per hectare.
The northeastern states are largely dependent on Punjab, Haryana and other larger states for foodgrains and essential vegetables.
Accepting the fact that there is a growing trend of people moving away agriculture sector, the scientist said that ICAR has been introducing new methods of agriculture with more profit.
Ayyappan said that the ICAR has launched the KIRAN (Knowledge Innovation Repository of Agriculture in the Northeast) platform in 2012 to harness the power of scientific knowledge and technology innovation for strengthening agricultural production systems in the northeast region through dynamic partnership and convergence among the diverse stake holders.
“Achieving sustainable food production to feed the increasing population of the fragile land of the region is an enormous challenge. ICAR envisages a unit for agriculture, to ensure an effective and efficient use of knowledge and technology products, promoting innovative approaches and solutions aimed at improving human resource with right knowledge skills in the northeast region,” he added.
url of Website / source: Northeast to become food sufficient soon: ICAR chief
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has set up a Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (CIWA) to undertake research related to issues of women in agriculture.
All beneficiary oriented schemes of the Union Agriculture Department having training and capacity building components for farmers include women farmers.
The ICAR has so far established a network of 642 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country. The KVKs organise different training programmes on improved technologies for farmers and rural youth including women.
The CIWA organises various extension activities like field days, exhibitions, exposure visits, demonstrations, Training of Trainers (TOT), etc. to acquaint women with latest technologies in agriculture, said a press release by Press Information Bureau on Tuesday.
url of Website / source: ICAR sets up Central Institute for Women in Agriculture
NCBS to study chemical interactions among insects, plants and microbes
What sort of unspoken language exists between pollinating insects and flowers? Do flowers talk to each other? How do bacteria communicate with the environment around them?
Such questions mark the immense “detective” work that will be undertaken by the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in the seven northeastern States. The work, focussing on chemical ecology, received a major fillip recently with the Department of Biotechnology granting Rs. 26 crore for the five-year project.
Though the NCBS had been conducting research in Sikkim on a smaller scale, the grant will now enable it to extend its work of training ecologists and students in the region as well as explore the “uncharted territory” of the northeastern forests.
“Research in chemical ecology in India has not happened…it is almost nothing. The preservation of the astonishing diversity is best done when it is fully understood,” said Shannon Olsson, a chemical ecologist at NCBS.
She said there were “huge blanks” in the understanding of the chemical interactions among insects, plants and microbes. Eventually, the academic exercise will have has “tremendous” applications in the utilisation of bio-resources and medicinal plants, she said. “Plants secrete chemicals to repel bacteria or fungi. Understanding this can lead to ecologically-friendly pesticides,” said Prof. Olsson, who is already collaborating with an Imphal-based scientist to develop natural insect repellents.
In a statement after the grant was issued, K. Vijay Raghavan, DBT Secretary, said: “Scientific and technological advances allow the deciphering of the chemistry of specific interactions…such interactions are scientific detective work of the highest order… this will be transformative for both new science and new and sustainable biotechnology in this area.” The initiative will see NCBS and the Indian Institute of Science coordinating with the Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland Science & Technology Council, Kohima Science College, Jotsoma, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, The Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development, Imphal, and their regional centre at Sikkim
A solution seems to have emerged for the disposal of paddy residue that has been proving to be a headache for many. In the absence of any easy solution, farmers used to burn it which was hazardous for environment and led to health problems. The burning of the residue has also been affecting the soil health as its nutrient level used to be harmed in the process.
Now, officials of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute claim they have introduced latest inoculants (virus) to help farmers in decomposing hardy crop residue such as paddy straw.
Talking to The Tribune, Anil Kumar Saxena, Principal Scientist in the Microbiology Division of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, said in a state like Punjab, the technology developed by the institute could prove to be highly useful for farmers. He said the nutrients in the soil were depleting fast in the state and so, there was a need to re-energise the soil by feeding nutrients. The IARI has developed a consortium of fungi that would cause rapid bio-conversion of the agro-residue into compost.
Dr Sexena said he, along with Dr Lavlin Shukla, had given a demonstration to farmers in Punjab to educate them regarding the usage of the inoculants. For a tonne of residue, only 500 gm of consortium of fungi, which costs only Rs 30, will be enough to convert the residue into organic compost.
“The bio-conversion of the argo-residue would restore the soil health by improving carbon and nutrient levels in the soil and reduce dependence on chemical fertilisers,” said Dr Sexena.
“Earlier, with other means, this conversion used to take 120 or more days but with this method, it will take only 55 to 60 days,” he said. Dr Shukla said, “The soil had started showing sluggish response to chemical fertilisers. There is a need to invent and use new technology to raise productivity.”
url of Website / source: IARI develops inoculants to decompose crop residue
Steps to contain prices of essential food items
Recent steps taken by the Government to improve the availability and to contain prices of essential food items:
Minimum Export Price (MEP) fixed for potatoes at USD 450 per M.T. w.e.f. 26 June 2014 (now withdrawn with improved availability and fall in prices w.e.f. 20 February 2015) and of onions at USD 250 per M.T. w.e.f 7 April 2015 respectively.
States have been advised to allow free movement of fruits and vegetables by delisting them from the APMC Act.
A Plan Scheme titled Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) with a corpus of Rs.500 crores has been approved for implementation aimed at regulating price volatility of agricultural and horticultural commodities both when there is price rise or vice-versa through procurement of farm produce, maintenance of buffer stocks and regulated release into the market.
States have been advised to exempt levy of market fee on fruits and vegetables and to allow establishment of KisanMandis/ Farmers markets where producers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) can directly market their produce to wholesalers, organized retailers and ordinary consumers. Such alternative marketing channels promoted to reduce intermediaries and to contain marketing costs, are intended to benefit both farmers and consumers.
Government is also encouraging production of horticultural crops through a Centrally Sponsored scheme, namely Mission for integrated Development of Horticulture w.e.f 2014-15.
Authorized States/UTs to impose stock limits in respect of onion and potato for a period of one year with effect from 3rd July, 2014 under the Essential Commodities Act.
Government has approved the release of additional five million tonnes of Rice to BPL & APL families in states pending implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Advisory to State Governments issued to take action against hoarding & black marketing and effectively enforce the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 & the Prevention of Black-marketing and Maintenance of Supplies of Essential Commodities Act, 1980.
Authorized States/UTs to impose stock limits from time to time in the case of select essential commodities such as pulses, edible oil, and edible oilseeds for a period up to 30 September 2015.
Based on interaction with the State Governments/UTs on 4th July, 2014, a decision has been taken to amend the Essential Commodities Act to make hoarding and black marketing a non bailable offence and increase the period of detention to one year from existing six months.
The Government has approved for the current year i.e. 2014-15 Open Market Sale of ten million tonnes of wheat in the domestic market.
All India Agricultural Students Association has observed “Black Day” by way of wearing black badges while attending classes in all the Central and state Agricultural Universities and colleges to protest against the anti-farm students’ policies of the government. National President of AIASA, Mr.Sudhir Kumar has stated that Agriculture sector is largely victim of negligence and triviality in approach concerned to the Human resource development and utilization as well. The Central government has completely neglected agriculture students communities by eliminating them from the eligibility of “INSPIRE fellowship” granted by Department of Science and Technology (DST) annually to 1000 students in all branches of science including agriculture science for conducting innovative and advanced research. The DST as a nodal Department for formulation of policies of scholarship has discriminated agriculture research scholars by not enhancing their scholarship, while the scholarship of students of all other streams have been enhanced by 55% on 21.10.2014 and it has categorically written in the Memorandum dated 21.10.2014 that “Enhancement rate of scholarship will not be applicable to agriculture research scholars under ICAR”. The scholarship of all other streams of students enhanced twice during 2010 and 2014. The policy division of Ministry of Agriculture snatched away the jobs of forestry students for the posts of Agriculture Field Officers in Banks recruited through Indian Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) by wrongly recommending the eligibility of AFO as BSc (Agroforestry) instead of BSc (Forestry), as the degree in Agroforestry do not exist in our agriculture education system in the country. The government has not taken any action on the issues (correction of eligibility) raised by AIASA. The government has failed to take any action on granting “Professional status” to agriculture, establishing “Agriculture council of India” to provide license for practice and entrepreneurship to Agriculture graduates and creation of “Indian Agricultural Services” (recommended by several commissions since independence) as requested by AIASA vide Memorandum dated 20.8.2014 to Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
The government has forced entire agriculture students’ communities for taking this step of observing ‘Black Day’ today on 21.4.2015 throughout India in all Central and State Agricultural Universities and colleges against the Anti-Farm Students policies of the government. In case, action is not taken by government, the entire agriculture communities including students, officers, scientists and farmers will be mobilized for organizing “Agricos Million March” on 02/09/2015 at 500 locations in the country for sensitizing the government for consideration of issues faced by agriculture communities.
To, Dated: 16.04.2015
The Bureau Chief,
All the National Daily News Papers/New Agencies
Channels at New Delhi/NCT of Delhi
Press Release
Anti Farm Students Policies of the Government
All India Agricultural Students Association, an apex organization of Farm students during the Press conference on 16.4.2015 at New Delhi stated that government has completely neglected agricultural students in the country. All India Agricultural Students Association (AIASA), a professional organization has been established on 1st December, 2011 under Society’s Registration Act XXI of 1860 with the consent/approval of Agriculture Ministry, ICAR, and Ministry of consumer Affairs. The Association looks after the welfare of one million present and former students in the field of agriculture, Horticulture, Agricultural Engineering, Fisheries, Forestry, Veterinary science etc. in close coordination and cooperation of University authorities, State Department of agriculture and other Central, State govt/private organizations.
National President of AIASA, Mr. Sudhir Kumar has stated that Agriculture sector is largely victim of negligence and triviality in approach concerned to the Human resource development and utilization as well. Referring it to a “State subject”, the Central Ministry never prioritise the primary sector and at maximum states, lack of funds drive the last nail to its coffin and therefore, it has become “no man land”. Agricultural policy making and execution has become largely synonymous to loan disbursements and subsidies only strikingly lacking any science.
The Association had earlier taken up the matter with Hon’ble Prime Minister of India vide Memorandum dated 20.08.2014 for improvement in agriculture sector particularly administrative reforms including creation of Indian Agriculture Service, filling up the vacant posts, parity in fellowships, infrastructure development, Granting of professional status to agriculture etc. Instead of taking positive actions on the issues raised by AIASA, the government has further discriminated agricultural students’ communities on various aspects:
- Elimination of Agricultural Research Scholars from availing INSPIRE fellowship: The Department of Science and Technology completely wiped out agriculture research scholars from zone of consideration of INSPIRE fellowship provided to Ph.D. Degree research fellows by putting up the condition of minimum of a batch of 10 students in a M.Sc. discipline in particular year in the University by revising the Fellowship Policy during February, 2015. In almost all the Agricultural Universities numbering 72, no where the strength of a batch of students of 10 or more exist in a M.Sc. discipline as the agricultural education is integrated with research and only limited number of students are admitted in each discipline. This has been done to eliminate the agriculture research scholars belonging to farming family for availing the INSPIRE fellowship which are awarded annually to 1000 research scholars for advance/innovating research in all branches of science including agricultural science. AIASA submitted detailed memorandum to Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of science and Technology on 4.3.2015 but the Ministry did not consider the issues raised by AIASA and issued notification dated 1.4.2015 on the basis of revised policy.
- Disparity of Fellowship of Agricultural Students under ICAR with other funding agencies: The Department of Science and Technology (DST) is the nodal Department for formulation of policy for awarding scholarship to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students in all streams including agricultural stream. The DST has announced uniform rate of enhancement of fellowship for PhD research scholars throughout the Country vide Memorandum dated 21.10.2014 and in the Memorandum it has been written that enhancement will not be applicable to research scholars of agriculture pursuing MSc and PhD under ICAR. The research scholars of ICAR completely neglected by DST while fellowship has been enhanced about 80% (from Rs. 16000 to Rs 25000 for SRF and Rs. 24000 to Rs 36000-44000 for Research Associates) for other stream by all funding agencies based on the memorandum issued by DST. The research scholars of ICAR continue to get same rate of Rs 12000 and Rs 10500 under National Institutes for PhD students and Rs 8000 for MSc students qualified through all India competitive exams. The comparative rate of fellowship of agriculture students and students of other stream are given as under:The comparative rate of fellowship of ICAR and other funding agencies are given as in Annexure 1.
B.Sc. (forestry) students under ICAR system eliminated from Banks jobs (Agriculture field Officers) by putting up condition of B.Sc. (Agroforestry) as essential qualification: Policy division of Ministry of Agriculture has recently recommended to all nationalized banks for making eligibility as B.Sc. (Agroforestry) instead of B.Sc. (forestry) for the posts of Agriculture field Officers. All the national banks made this policy and given instruction to recruitment agency i.e. IBPS for modification of essential qualification. The recruitment agency eliminated all B.Sc. (forestry) students and did not allow them for interview. But as per communication issued by ICAR, there is no such degree B.Sc. (Agroforestry) exist in Indian Education system. This elimination has been done by formulation of wrong policy by Agriculture Policy division of Ministry of Agriculture as there is not a single person in Agriculture Policy division of Ministry of Agriculture having background in agriculture.- Denial of professional status to agriculture: AIASA has taken up the matter with Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi vide their memorandum dated 20.8.2014 for granting professional status to agriculture at par with medical, engineering, legal etc. but inspite of taking any action on granting professional status to agriculture by establishing Agriculture Council of India (ACI) and granting license to agriculture students for entrepreneurship development, the government completely neglected agriculture by elimination of agriculture students from main stream of research and development and they are forced to work somewhere else and which is causing brain drain.
- Neglecting Agriculture by not creating Indian Agriculture Service: An organized independent cadre system in agriculture in the form of Indian Agricultural Service comprising all the component services is the need of the hour. The huge mass of human resource churned out of the NARS (National agricultural research system) should be deputed to serve the cadres. The agriculture sector is facing huge brain and talent drain to the other service sectors and we should restore our valuable human resources to serve the stream ensuring “right person at the right place”. So along with the existing ARS (Agricultural Research Service), which is a society service (under ICAR; a registered society under Societies Registration Act, 1860) there is a fervent need for creation of other services like Agricultural Developmental Services (ADS), Agricultural Inspection Services (AIS), Agricultural Education Services (AES), Agricultural Marketing Services (AMS), Agricultural Foreign Services (AFS) and Services related to Veterinary and Fisheries Sciences in pattern of USDA, DAFF (Australia), European Union, Embrapa (Brazil), China etc. All the above cadres must be central cadres under the banner of Indian Agricultural Service to bridge the gap between the ministry and the ICAR. ADS will ensure implementation of the centrally formulated policies at the state level. AIS will secure the food safety, quarantine system and plant and animal health. AES will bring all the State Agricultural Universities (SAU) under a common roof and regularly recruit the best talents as teaching personnel maintaining the total transparency. At present majority of the SAUs are facing dearth of funds and running with a weak infrastructure. Major concern is there is severe lack of teaching personnel in all SAUs and whose recruitment is in deep waters. Inspite of recommendations given by various government appointed Committees and Commissions such as Nalagarh Committee (1958), National Commissions on Agriculture (1976), Sarkaria commission on Centre-State Relations (1988), Central fifth and sixth pay Commission and Rajya Sabha passed resolutions twice by two third majority, government has not taken any action for creation of Indian Agriculture Service.
The Association has decided to take direct action by mobilizing one million present and former agricultural students throughout India. The present and former agriculture students will observe “Black day” on 21.04.2015 throughout India and will submit memoranda to President of India through District Magistrates at 500 locations in the country. Again one million Agricos will participate in “Agricos Million March” on 2nd September, 2015 at 500 locations to be organized by AIASA across the country through our 750 cabinet members to sensitize the government towards agriculture and agriculturists.
Yours faithfully,
Rajveer Choudhary
General Secretary, AIASA
M: 09999641545
Email: generalsecretary@aiasa.in
Sudhir Kumar
National President, AIASA
Mob: 08505908080
Email: nationalpresident@aiasa.in
Attached File:
Press Release
The Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley said the Doordarshan’s ‘Kisan’ channel could be launched in May. “We are looking for another date, most probably it will be in May. The preparations for the channel is at a fairly advanced stage.
KOCHI, APRIL 13:
A record price of ₹2,500 per kg was realised for the Korakundah organic hand-rolled speciality Orthodox tea at the Kochi auctions.
This is the highest price realised this year in the South Indian auctions held so far. The tea produced by Korakundah Estate (100 per cent organic) is owned by the United Nilgiri Tea Estates in the Nilgiris. It is one of the rarest and most prestigious hand-made limited edition teas, which are grown at an elevation of 8,000 ft above sea level. Fine quality teas are selected from special bushes, the auctioneers Forbes, Ewart & Figgis said.
Meanwhile, the Kochi auctions witnessed a mixed trend with prices and arrivals quoting lower.
In sale no 15, the quantity on offer in the CTC dust category was 10,06,500 kg. While 90 per cent got sold, the market for Good Liquoring and teas which came under the selection of major blenders were dearer by ₹2 to ₹5 and more.
However, the increase in price was less for medium and plainer varieties, particularly bolder grades, the auctioneers said.
In CTC Orthodox, arrivals were low at 6,500 kg besides, witnessing less demand and many withdrawals. Exporters absorbed the small quantity that was sold.
In the Cochin CTC dust quotation, good grades fetched ₹90-148, mediums quoted ₹74-120 and plain varieties stood at ₹60-73.
There was only fair demand for Orthodox leaf and the quantity on offer was 86,000 kg. The market for Select Best Nilgiri Brokens, Whole Leaf was firm to dearer.
In CTC leaf, the quantity on offer was 72,000 kg and 70 per cent got sold. The market for Clean Black Well Made Fannings was firm to dearer, while Brokens were irregular and lower.
In the dust category, Waterfall (Prm) SFD quoted the best prices of ₹149 followed by both Kallyar SFD/Mayura SFD at ₹147 each. In the leaf varieties, Parkside OP (S) fetched the best prices of ₹336, followed by both Chamraj FOP (Sup) Green tea and Kodanaad TGFOP at ₹335.
HYDERABAD, APRIL 12:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is developing nutrient-rich varieties of rice in its efforts towards nutritional security, a senior official said today.
“Our effort is to move towards nutrition security as well. We are moving towards that direction from food security to nutritional security and developing varieties which are rich in nutritional content. The process has already started. We have identified two varieties of rice,” ICAR Deputy Director General (crop science) J S Sandhu said.
At the Golden Jubilee Annual Rice Research Group Meeting at the Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR) here, Sandhu said India achieved food security and the next step is a leap towards nutrition security.
“Our present varieties (of rice) are not rich in protein content. We are increasing the protein content. Rice is mainly having carbohydrate, so we are developing zinc-rich rice varieties,” he said.
“We have 44 million hectare under rice cultivation. There is no increase in area in the last 15 years. The task has become tough, but the only option is to improve the productivity through science led technology,” Sandhu said.
He further said owing to unseasonal rains and hailstorm India’s food grains production is estimated to slightly decline to 257 million tonne (MT) this year.
In 2013-14, food grains production stood at 265.57 MT and out of this 106.65 MT was of rice which was a record production, he added.
ICAR Director General S Ayyappan said, “Despite untimely rains, climate change, pest diseases, we have to get ready to deal (with them). We have to focus on climate smart agriculture to overcome flood, drought, cold.”
While Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become a catchphrase in agriculture today, there can be confusion as to what it actually is.
“While the mechanics of the concept are discussed at workshops and lectures, many producers still don’t understand exactly what IPM is,” said Dustin Morton, a commercial horticulture specialist with the Alberta Ag-Info Centre in Stettler.
“These same producers may be surprised to learn that to some extent, they are already using IPM and with a little coaching, they could maximize its potential for their real benefit.”
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, IPM is “an ecosystem approach to crop production and protection that combines different management strategies and practices to grow healthy crops and minimize the use of pesticides.”
“Many growers are not aware that IPM relates not only to insect ‘pests’ but can also encompass weeds, diseases and vermin,” said Morton. “Ultimately, this is the stage where the term ‘integrated’ in IPM applies: Growers are dealing with a multitude of problems or potential problems in a variety of different ways, all at the same time. It’s this combination or integration of these methods that has the potential to make IPM an overall success.”
IPM can be thought of as a tool box, said Morton.
“In this tool box, growers have many different pest control methods/tools. Some of these tools are familiar such as tillage, rotation, genetic resistance and, of course, pesticides. But growers may also be using other pest control methods and not be aware that, in doing so, they are actually practising IPM.”
These alternate methods can include tools such as crop timing, cover crops, scouting, optimizing fertility to the crop, proper record keeping and equipment sanitation.
The five basic themes of IPM programs are:
- Identify the pests of concern;
- Monitor the population of the pest in the field;
- Have a point at which growers will move to control this pest;
- Try, when possible, to prevent the pest;
- Use all tools available (chemical, biological, cultural and physical) in a responsible manner to control the pest.
“Again, most growers may be surprised to learn that their management plans have all the hallmarks of an IPM plan,” said Morton. “For example, a grower may choose to plant a cabbage crop in a four-year field rotation. If the field previously had cabbage maggot, they might consider planting a shorter-season variety so as to be able to plant later in the season and avoid the worst damage from the pest. Furthermore, if it had been a particularly bad infestation, they might consider a preventive soil drench with increased scouting as the crop grows. All of these are basic principles of IPM.”
If an infestation was particularly bad in the past, the grower might also consider a preventive pesticide drench at planting. As the crop matures, the producer might walk it regularly to visually scout the insect population and cull any badly infested plant material.
Producers who are incorporating these types of decisions into their operation are already using IPM. However, it may be time to take the practice to the next level, further integrating their approach.
Techniques such as encouraging natural predators and parasites, such as beetles and parasitic wasps, or more intensive scouting and data management for tracking outbreaks or infestations are important IPM components.
“They might also consider other pest control methods like cover crops, crop-adapted spraying, intercropping or better nutrient management,” added Morton. “Regardless of which methods are used, the more tools used appropriately in the operation, the better prepared growers are to deal with pest problems that may come along.
“Ultimately, IPM in a growing operation leads to a stronger, healthier crop and can give growers the return on investment they are looking for.”
New Delhi, Feb. 23 (ANI): President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said farmer is the sentinel of country’s food security, and added the government attaches enormous importance to the well-being of the farming community.
“Kisan is the sentinel of our food security. Annadaata Sukhibhava has been one of our fundamental civilizational values. My Government attaches enormous importance to the wellbeing of farmers. This will need value-added agriculture, market reform, use of technology and improving productivity in areas with untapped potential. The year 2015 has been designated as International Year of Soils,” said President Mukherjee in his address to both houses of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session.
The President also said that a Soil Health Card Scheme has been launched in view of the critical role of soil for productivity and farm output.
“Price stabilization fund with a corpus of Rs.500 crore has been set up for perishable commodities. To address the irrigation requirements of every village in an effective and sustainable manner, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, is being launched. Extension programmes have been devised targeting resource-poor, small and marginal farmers, particularly focusing on organic farming and green house technology,” he added.
He said the ‘Rashtriya Gokul Mission’ has been launched with the objective of conserving and developing indigenous cattle breeds.
President Mukherjee further said Food Processing has immense potential for generating employment in rural areas, particularly for the landless poor, besides guaranteeing remunerative price for the farm-produce.
“Creating infrastructure in rural areas to minimize supply chain losses is a priority. A special fund of Rs. 2000 crore to provide affordable credit to the units in 72 notified food parks has been made operational. Two Mega Food Parks, at Tumkur and Fazilka, each to provide direct/indirect employment to 30,000 people have been commissioned in the last six months,” he added.
President Mukherjee said the government attaches paramount importance to safeguard the interest of farmers and families affected by land acquisition.
“My Government attaches paramount importance to safeguard the interest of farmers and families affected by land acquisition. While taking utmost care to protect the interest of farmers, including their compensation entitlements, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,” President Mukherjee said.
“Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act has been suitably refined to minimize certain procedural difficulties in acquisition of land inevitably required for critical public projects of infrastructure and for creation of basic amenities like rural housing, schools and hospitals, particularly in remote areas,” he added.
The Budget Session, which contains 44 items of financial, legislative and non-legislative business, began today with President Mukherjee’s address.
The first part of the Budget Session will continue till March 20 while the second part will commence after a month-long break from April 20 and conclude on May 8.
The Rail Budget will be presented on February 26, Economic Survey on February 27 and General Budget on February 28. (ANI)
url of Website / source: ‘Kisan is sentinel of our food security’: President Mukherjee
On a fenced plot not far from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home, a field of mustard is in full yellow bloom, representing his government’s reversal of an effective ban on field trials of genetically modified (GM) food crops.
The GM mustard planted in the half-acre field in the grounds of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi is in the final stage of trials before the variety is allowed to be sold commercially, and that could come within two years, scientists associated with the project say.
India placed a moratorium on GM aubergine in 2010 fearing the effect on food safety and biodiversity. Field trials of other GM crops were not formally halted, but the regulatory system was brought to a deadlock.
But allowing GM crops is critical to Modi’s goal of boosting dismal farm productivity in India, where urbanisation is devouring arable land and population growth will mean there are 1.5 billion mouths to feed by 2030 – more even than China.
Starting in August last year, his government resumed the field trials for selected crops with little publicity.
url of Website / source: PM Narendra Modi bets on GM crops for second green revolution