Category Archives: Agriculture

CMFRI to promote cage fish farming

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology
The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute pioneered caged fish farming in India.

Institute plans 500 units with 40% subsidy for farmers

In a major effort to increase the domestic fish production in the State, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute here will implement a ₹15-crore project helping fish farmers to launch 500 cage farming units. The farmers will be offered subsidy and technical support to carry out the cage culture under the scheme, which is funded by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad.

According to the programme, 40% of the total expense will be given as subsidy to the farmers who can conduct farming individually or in groups. Women and those from the SC/ST category will get 60% subsidy. The programme will be implemented in coastal districts of the State. Species such as sea bass, pearl spot, cobia, pompano and red snapper will be farmed.

The farmers from the coastal districts can register now at the Mariculture Division of the CMFRI to become part of the scheme. The applicants should be capable of carrying out the farming in water that is at least three metres deep during the low tide. Approval will be given only after a CMFRI team reviews the spot and various conditions of the water resources for farming, including environmental factors.

In addition, three Aqua One Labs will be set up in the State to help farmers for the smooth conduct of cage farming. These labs will provide services such as water quality check, sediment analysis, seed transportation, and disease management. Details of the requirements for setting up the laboratory are available in the CMFRI website (www.cmfri.org.in).

soruce: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – July 09th, 2018

Ryots strike gold with passion fruit

Agriculture, Business & Economy

The fruit is suitable for the soil, climatic conditions of high ranges and has good demand in market

Passion fruit is the new passion for farmers of the high ranges here who were facing a crisis following drop in prices of cash crops.

The easy-to-grow fruit now gets good prices and the hill-produce merchants at Kattappana procure the fruit commercially grown by the farmers.

The price per kilogram of the fruit at the Kattappana market is ₹45 and the companies that make juice, jam and syrup collect the fruits on a daily basis. Farmers grow both the yellow and purple varieties with the latter having an edge in the market.

K.V. Francis, a farmer from Kanchiyar, said that he had been growing passion fruit for the past three years.

Compared to other fruits, passion fruit is easy to grow. He cultivates the fruit organically without pesticide or fertilizers. The only requirement is a pandal for the vines to spread.

He said that the soil and climatic conditions of high ranges were most suitable for passion fruit, though its commercial cultivation began in the area only recently. Those with limited land area grew the fruit on the terrace. It not only provided green cover on the terrace, but gave additional income to the family, he said.

Last year, price of passion fruit ranged from ₹20 to ₹25. The high demand this season is said to be due to the increase in the number of firms engaged in manufacturing value-added products.

The fruit can be harvested eight to nine months from sowing the seeds. The harvesting season is from June to August. Unlike other crops, the crop grows in natural conditions and a single vine can produce hundreds of fruits. The hard outer cover protects the fruits from pest attacks.

Krishnakumar, a small-scale farmer, said fruits in his farm were ready for harvest. The fruits that grew in shady areas could be harvested by next week.

Nutritious

Since the fruit was rich in minerals and vitamins and could be grown without pesticides, it had become a favourite of juice manufacturers.

“It can also be used for making wine and its outer cover has demand in pickle units,” said a trader at Kattappana. He said the fruit had good prospects for exports. As per the estimate of traders, more than 10 tonnes of passion fruit is sent from Kattappana to other districts and States. Besides, a Kothamangalam-based company directly procures the fruit from high ranges.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Giji R Raman / Idukki – July 08th, 2018

SHESs play an active role in farm sector mechanisation

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features

To offer cost-effective and timely service to farmers

Self-help employment societies (SHES) have become active in the high ranges with the block panchayats taking the initiative to mechanise the farm sector through them. Aimed at strengthening the agriculture sector and ensuring job opportunities, mechanisation in farm sector will be done so as to keep farming cost at a low to the farmer community.

The block panchayats distribute farm machinery and equipment to the SHES whose members were trained in their operation. The SHES members will offer their services to farmers at nominal rates.

16 groups so far

Sixteen SHES in Devikulam block panchayat have already been given the machinery.

Each SHES in the district has 10 to 20 members. The government will provide financial aid for purchasing farming machinery, including tillers, pump sets, and weeding machines.

The schemes come to the aid of farmers by ensuring that farming related works are done at a low cost and in a timely manner, and for the SHES members, a regular income is ensured.

Each SHES will get machinery to the tune of ₹3 lakh in the first phase. The SHES’ share is ₹30,000.

Devikulam grama panchayat has already spent ₹43.2 lakh for scheme, thus topping in the district.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by A Correspondent / Idukki – July 03rd, 2018

Fresh water fish seed farm opened at Neyyar

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Thiruvananthapuram:

The state will soon turn self-sufficient in freshwater fish seed production, said fisheries minister J Mercykutty Amma. She was speaking after inaugurating the freshwater fish seed farm and fish hatchery training centre near Neyyar dam on Friday.

“Having freshwater lakes in the state, Kerala has immense potential in freshwater fish farming,” minister opined. “The challenge is to produce quality juvenile fish. Against the demand for 12 crore juvenile fish, the state could produce only 2 crore,” the minister said.

The freshwater fish hatchery was constructed spending Rs 3.44 crore. Six concrete feeding tanks having 24.6m length and 9.6m width, a pool platform having 12m width and 7m length and an FRP tank platform which is 9m long and 8m wide are arranged at the hatchery, besides a 158 square metre hatchery office building.

A fisheries training centre of 1,008 square metres has been constructed using Rs 3.2 crore. This two-storey building can accommodate 32 persons and the training hall has the capacity to house 75 persons.

The fisheries minister said that administrative sanction for Rs 7.46 lakh has been given for the third phase of development of the Farm.

MLA C K Hareendran presided over the function which was attended by Perumkadavila block panchayat president Sujathakumar, Kallikkad

Grama panchayat vice-president Shyamlal, district panchayat member Ansajitha Russal, block panchayat member M K Kumar, grama panchayat member R Latha of and assistant director of fisheries department Sheeja attended the event.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / Thiruvananthapuram – June 10th, 2018

The smallest sea cucumber in India

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion
The smallest sea cucumber Thyonina bijui

Vizhinjam Bay is home to the animal which grows to a size of just 2 cm

The Vizhinjam Bay, a busy fishing ground noted for its biodiversity-rich marine ecosystem, is home to the smallest sea cucumber in India, scientists have reported.

Biju Kumar of the Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, and his student Deepa Pillai stumbled upon the species while scouring the rocky coast during a biodiversity study in 2015.

The animal, which grows to a size of just 2 cm, is named Thyonina bijui, after Biju Kumar.

The specimen was identified as a new species by Professor Ahmed Thandar, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, while describing several species of sea cucumbers from the Indian Ocean.

The news about the discovery has been published in the international journal Zootaxa.

According to Dr. Kumar, this is the first species of sea cucumber endemic to the Kerala coast and is known only from Vizhinjam.

The animal inhabits shallow waters and has a barrel-shaped body.

It is reddish brown in colour, with plenty of tube feet all over the dorsal surface.

Sea cucumbers and starfish belong to the group of marine invertebrates called echinoderms.

Of the 179 sea cucumbers reported from India, 37 species have been recorded from the Kerala coast.

Culinary delicacy

The larger species of sea cucumbers are overharvested for export as they are considered one of the culinary delicacies in China and many western countries.

The Government of India has listed all species of sea cucumbers (holothurians) under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, imposing a blanket ban on their harvesting from Indian waters.

Occurring only in marine ecosystems, the sea cucumber plays a critical role in ecosystem functioning by recycling nutrients and carbonates.

Often referred to as the earthworms of the sea, these animals are responsible for extensive shifting and mixing of substrate and recycling of sediments into animal tissue and nitrogenous waste which can be taken up by algae and sea grass.

Dr. Kumar feels that detailed investigations of the marine biodiversity of the Kerala coast, especially from the rocky shores and bays, would lead to the discovery of several new species.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by T. Nandakumar / Thiruvananthapuram – June 07th, 2018

Thottara Puncha rice brand to hit market by June

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature
The Thottara Puncha before harvest. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Government’s farming success story sees revival of 652 acres of paddy land

A rice bowl that had been lying almost fallow for over a decade has now been revived fully to produce some 1,500 metric tonnes of paddy in a joint effort by the Ernakulam district administration, Agriculture Department, paddy field collectives, and local bodies.

The rejuvenated Thottara Puncha, where 652 acres of paddy land were brought under cultivation last year, will now be a brand, with the rice produced here hitting the market in that name in the first week of June. The effort to breathe life back into the Puncha, trapped amid some nine hills, was spearheaded by District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla.

The plan is to market some 20 tonnes of rice initially, followed by another batch of 20 tonnes. Keecheri Service Cooperative Bank has completed collection of paddy, threshing, packing, and branding, said a release issued here.

Mr. Safirulla sought the support of Amballoor and Edakkattuvayal panchayats to cultivate some 350 acres of the 990 acres of the Puncha in Ernakulam district (the remaining 1,082 acres are in Kottayam) in 2016-17, and the results were stunning. “Preparation of fields itself was a challenge, but paddy field collectives worked in tandem to make it happen. This time around, we were able to bring under cultivation the maximum cultivable area — around 700 acres over nine paddy land collectives barring areas acquired for various projects, canals, farm roads, and irrigation channels,” said C.K. Prakash, general coordinator of the project.

Several departments, including irrigation, Land Development Corporation, and the State Electricity Board, supported the initiative. The canals were cleaned, and pumping facility was added to the sluices at Olippuram and Pulimukham (as a chunk of the Puncha being in low-lying areas will get heavily inundated during the monsoon).

“It posed some challenges, as not every area could be cultivated in October, which delayed harvesting too. We have now set up 12 high-power submersible pumps along the Puncha for de-watering, which will help us harvest the entire field by March next. This is going to drastically reduce the harvesting cost as well. And, the idea is to incorporate Kudumbasree in threshing paddy at our own mill and brand it,” said Mr. Prakash.

A Thottara Puncha Development Council will soon be formed, and a mill will be set up at a cost of ₹40 lakh. Terming it his pet project, Mr. Safirulla said all agencies and stakeholders had chipped in with verve to script the success story.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / May 25th, 2018

Farmer awarded, gives Governor a gift that grows

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Tuber Man’s ‘seed pen’ germinates into tree after pen is disposed of

Shaji N.M., a farmer who was conferred the Biodiversity Award under special mention category by the National Biodiversity Authority, attracted many eyeballs during the award ceremony on Tuesday.

After receiving the award, he presented seed pens as return gift to the dignitaries, including Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan from whom he received the prize. “It is made of paper. You can use it as a normal disposable pen, and when the ink is exhausted, you can just throw it away. It contains a seed, which will give birth to a tree in future,” he explained.

Making seed pens is more like a hobby for Mr. Shaji, whose major occupation is conserving tuber species.

Started 20 years ago as a response to the drought conditions in Wayanad district where he lives, his passion has taken him places across the country, in search of newer tuber species. “I have a collection of 200 edible tuber species, including the rarest ones, besides herbs and medicinal plants on my four-acre land,” he says proudly.

He has shared the germplasm of the tubers with institutions such as Central Tuber Crop Research Institute and Kerala University.

Recipient of many awards, including National Plant Genome Saviour Award, Mr. Shaji’s conservation efforts are not limited to tubers; they extend to rice. He grows 17 traditional varieties of rice on the meagre plot, besides dabbling in fish farming, bee keeping and horticulture.

There were nine winners and 13 special mentions in total at the biodiversity award ceremony, among whom two were from Telangana.

Sangham Women Farmers Group from Medak won the award for ‘Sustainable use of Biological Resources’ for its efforts in traditional and organic methods of seed processing.

The Biodiversity Management Committee of Modi (Jheri) village of Kerameri mandal in Asifabad district won under special mention category, for conserving 26 native varieties of pulses and cereals. Among them, two varieties ‘Erra Machala Kandulu’ (a variety of pigeon pea) and ‘Vayunowka Jonna’ (a variety of sorghum) have been registered with the Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Authority of India, while the recognition of another variety, ‘Balintha Pesalu’, is under way.

Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve Management Committee from West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh won the award for protecting the community reserve, while Lemsachenlok Organization ( Y.NukuluPhom), Longleng, Nagaland, received it in the Institutions category.

Awards were also given under Special Mention category to corporates such as Godrej & Boyce, Mumbai, and Coromandel International, Kakinada. Coringa BMC of East Godavari too won under this category.

There were five categories of awards — conservation of wild species, conservation of domesticated species, sustainable use of biological resources, replicable mechanisms for access and benefit sharing, and best biodiversity management committees.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Swathi Vadlamudi / Hyderabad – May 24th, 2018

Rare hill palm spotted in Kollam

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Road widening is threatening the palm seen at a tea estate near Thenmala

Unlike its cousin the arecanut palm, the hill areca Bentinckia condapanna is a rare sight. Now, researchers have spotted a population of the threatened wild palms in an abandoned tea plantation in Kollam district.

According to a recent study in the Journal of Threatened Taxa which publishes scientific articles to promote conservation, M. Divin Murukesh of Malappuram’s MES Mampad College and his colleague Ajith Ashokan discovered 76 adult palms and 66 seedlings of the hill areca near a road on the Arundel-Priya estate near Thenmala.

Although the palm is reported to grow in high elevations (between 1,000 and 2,000 metres above mean sea level) in the Western Ghats, the new population has been reported from a lower altitude of around 600 metres. The team also noticed birds (including the Malabar grey hornbill and Malabar barbet) and mammals (bats and bonnet macaques) feeding on the bright red fruits of the palm.

Road widening threat

The researchers spotted the palms growing on a slanting rock along the Kazhuthurutty-Arundel-Achencoil road which has been proposed for widening. “If the road is widened, these palms could be in danger,” says Mr. Murukesh.

According to them, the discovery could add to the importance of this site, which, along with five other estates in the area, has been proposed to form a potential wildlife corridor along the Aryankavu pass for the use of large fauna, including elephant and tigers.

Locally called condapanna, the hill areca grows only along steep rocky slopes of evergreen forests south of the Palakkad Gap in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is categorised as “Vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

“The palms are also rare possibly because they cannot survive without mycorrhizal associations [beneficial fungi on their plant roots],” said Mr. Murukesh.

Plant regeneration from seeds was also very poor, said V.B. Sreekumar of the Department of Forest Botany at Thrissur’s Kerala Forest Research Institute. However, with more populations of the plants being discovered, they may not be as rare as previously thought, he said.

“But there are very few studies on the palm since it is very difficult to access the rocky cliffs where they grow. There have been no surveys to assess its current status either,” he said.

Kerala’s hill areca is one of the only two such species in the world; the other, Bentinckia nicobarica, is seen only on the Nicobar Islands.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Aathira Perinchery / Kochi – May 23rd, 2018

Group of tribesmen sets a model in pesticide-free farming

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature
Members of Surya Tribal Self Help Group harvesting beans from their vegetable garden at Kavadam in Wayanad district.

Five self-help groups, including three women’s groups, cultivate 16 acres of rented land

A group of tribesmen under the Kaniyampetta grama panchayat in Wayanad district of Kerala  has set a successful model in pesticide-free vegetable cultivation.

As many as 64 tribal families belong to Paniya and Mullakuruma tribal sects have grown 10 varieties of vegetables, including yard-long beans, bitter gourd, tomato, snake gourd, okra, and green chilli on 16 acres of rented land at Kavadom, Chittalur Kayakkunnu, and Nelliyambom near Nadavayal.

The vegetable promotion project was launched by the Scheduled Tribal Development Department under a special Central assistance to a tribal sub-plan in January. A sum of ₹9.64 lakh was provided for the purpose.

Five self-help groups (SHGs), including three women’s groups, have been constituted under the project and each group consists of 10 to 14 members. All expenses — including the rent of land, seeds, organic manure, pump sets for irrigation, agricultural implements, and wages — were borne by the department.

“Our produce is in good demand as our farming methods are transparent and can be viewed by anyone,” says A. Kavalan, tribal cheftain, Kavadam Paniya settlement, and president of the Surya SHG.

Lower prices

‘Though organic produce is priced at a premium, the SHGs sell vegetables at rates lower than the market price. Earlier, the members used to sell their produce to middlemen. Later, they entered into a tie-up with Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) to avoid middlemen and to get a better income, says A. Manojkumar, a Committed Social Worker of the department.

“We sold nearly one tonne of yard-long beans through Kudumbasree at ₹22 a kg .The harvest of other vegetables will start soon,” K. Meenakshi, president of Arya SHG, said.

“While vegetable traders in nearby towns sell vegetables procured from Gundlupet in Karnataka at a higher price, we are able to sell pesticide-free produce at 20% to 25% lower than the market rate,” she said.

Profit expectations

“We expect a profit of ₹15 lakh from the project this season,” says N.J. Reji, tribal extension officer, Kaniyampetta grama panchayat.

“We were able to provide 60 working days to 64 families in the past two months. The profit from the project will be utilised as a revolving fund to expand vegetable cultivation to ensure a sustainable income to tribal members,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M.Manoj / April 28th, 2018

Creating a culture of growing their own food

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature
Harvesting of vegetables at an organic farm at Prakkadavu in Ernakulam district.

There are now 48 organic cultivation groups at Prakkadavu

The people of Prakkadavu in Ernakulam have taken it upon themselves to create a culture of cultivating their own food, including rice, vegetables and fish as part of a major campaign to eat ‘poison-free’ food using the land available to them.

The agriculture and food production initiative has been taken under the aegis of the Prakkadavu Service Cooperative Bank. Because of the initiative, a land that had been lying fallow for about 25 years has now come under cultivation.

The bank’s major step was to help people produce their own food.

It included production of rice, vegetables, dairy items as well as poultry meat and eggs, said a press release from the Public Relations Department. Parakkadavu has been blessed with an abundant water resource as it lies close to the Chalakkudy river and people have used this resource fully to realise their dream of cultivating and producing their own food.

The initiative started about four years ago with the cultivation of vegetables in growbags.

It has now spread far and wide. With the cultivation of vegetables in growbags on terraces and small areas, the bank decided to form farmers’ groups to spread cultivation into wider areas gradually.

There are now a total of 48 organic cultivation groups comprising 800 homesteads. There are 10 to 15 members in each of the groups engaged in cultivation of various items. Diary and poultry activities too have been taken up along with vegetable and rice cultivation.

The Kurumassery Karukappadam, which had been lying idle for the past 25 years, has been brought under cultivation. A total of 12 acres was brought under vegetable cultivation.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – April 18th, 2018