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Agricultural Current Affairs From Jan 2022 to June 2022

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 ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research in Kozhikode has been awarded the ‘Sardar Patel Outstanding ICAR Institution Award’ for the year 2021. The award was presented to C. K. Thankamani, Director of the Institute, by Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in New Delhi.

This award was given based on the institute's performance over the last five years. It consists of a Rs10 lakh cash award, a citation, and a plaque.

This award is given to institutes based on several criteria, including significant output/outcome from research activities, the number, and quality of research publications, technologies licensed/commercialized, infrastructure developed, and capacity-building efforts. This is the third time that the IISR has received this honour.

"The award is a timely recognition for the institute's hard work and dedicated efforts in developing several cutting-edge technologies for advancing spice farming and addressing the real challenges faced by the spice farming community," Thankamani said.

Bindu Joseph, a young Kozhikode farmer, was awarded the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Antyodaya Krishi Puruskar. The award honours the contributions of marginal, small, and landless farmers to the development of integrated and sustainable agricultural farming models.

About ICAR- Indian Institute of Spices Research

The Indian Institute of Spices Research (IISR), Kozhikode (Calicut), is a major Institute devoted to spice research and is a constituent body of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). It began as a Regional Station of the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), Kasaragod, engaged in spice research in 1976.

In 1986, the former Regional Station of CPCRI in Kozhikode and the Cardamom Research Centre in Appangala, Karnataka merged to form the National Research Centre for Spices, with headquarters in Kozhikode, Kerala. Recognizing the significance of spice research in India, the Research Centre was renamed Indian Institute of Spices Research on July 1, 1995.

International Day Of Cooperatives:

100th International Day of Cooperatives was observed.

• India celebrated the day under the theme “Building a Self-Reliant India and a Better World through Co-operatives”.
• The International Day of Cooperatives was declared by the United Nations General Assembly on 16th December 1992, on the first Saturday of July.
• The purpose of this festival is to promote cooperatives globally and foster an environment that will foster their expansion and profitability.
• The occasion highlights the cooperative movement’s contributions to tackling the major issues addressed by the United Nations as well as to enhancing and expanding the alliances between the cooperative movement internationally and other actors.
• It aims to raise awareness of cooperatives and further the values of the movement—
  • International solidarity,
  • Economic efficiency,
  • Equality,
  • Global peace.
• Theme for 2022: Cooperatives Build a Better World.

 The Centre has created a National Farmers’ Database with records of 5.5 crore farmers, which it hopes to increase to 8 crore farmers by December by linking it to State land record databases, according to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.

• Farmers’ database is key to advances in digital agriculture. Agriculture has to be linked with digital technology, scientific research and knowledge.
• The national database was created by taking data from existing national schemes such as PM-KISAN, soil health cards and the insurance scheme PM Fasal Bima Yojna.
• So far, 5.5 crore farmers had been identified in this manner.
• The Minister urged the States to create their own databases using the national database’s federated structure and also allow linkages to the land records maintained by the States.
• With the help of State governments, a total of eight crore farmers would be included by the end of the year. He also urged to study the Karnataka model for digital agriculture presented at the conference.
• In July, Mr. Tomar told the Lok Sabha that the database could be used “for targeted service delivery with higher efficiency and in a focussed and time-bound manner” and that it was the core for the proposed Agristack digital agriculture ecosystem.
• Already, companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Patanjali had been asked to develop technology solutions for farmers using data from the database.
• Activists have raised privacy and consent concerns about using farmers’ data in such a way.

 Centre government, for the first time issued uniform specifications for Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) for grade A & Common Rice. The specifications have been issued by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

• The fortified rice is to be distributed under various government schemes, including the public distribution system (PDS) and midday meals in schools, by 2024.

Rice fortification:

• The country has high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
• According to the Food Ministry, every second woman in the country is anaemic and every third child is stunted.
• India ranks 94 out of 107 countries and is in the ‘serious hunger’ category on the Global Hunger Index (GHI).
• Malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children poses major obstacles in their development.
• Food fortification is defined as the practice of adding vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods during processing to increase their nutritional value.
• It is a proven, safe and cost-effective strategy for improving diets and for the prevention and control of micronutrient deficiencies.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefit with minimal risk to health”.
• According to the Food Ministry, fortification of rice is a cost-effective and complementary strategy to increase vitamin and mineral content in diets.
• According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice will contain iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram) and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
• In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, with zinc (10 mg-15 mg), Vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), Vitamin B1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), Vitamin B2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), Vitamin B3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and Vitamin B6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg.
• Since the nutrients are added to staple foods that are widely consumed, this is an excellent method to improve the health of a large section of the population, all at once.
• Fortification is a safe method of improving nutrition among people. The addition of micronutrients to food does not pose a health risk to people.
• It does not require any changes in food habits and patterns of people. It is a socio-culturally acceptable way to deliver nutrients to people.
• It does not alter the characteristics of the food—the taste, the feel, the look.
• It can be implemented quickly as well as show results in improvement of health in a relatively short period of time.
• This method is cost-effective especially if advantage is taken of the existing technology and delivery platforms.

 Farmers in India are gathering in the largest rice crop in history, which promises record exports, while making sure to keep up their longest-running protest, set to turn a year old next month.

 On Friday, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Center will promote the expansion of acreage and production of 10 types of exotic fruit trees of commercial importance and popularity in the world as well as many varieties. native fruit trees of high nutritional value this year. “This year, 8,951 hectares for exotic fruits and 7,154 hectares for indigenous fruits will be planted,” Tomar said at a conference to celebrate the "International Year of Fruits and Vegetables".

The event was organised by the Union Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with the UN body Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Tomar further said while India is the world's second largest producer of horticulture crops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the country needs post harvest food processing revolution and value addition amid increased agri-production.

The Chairman, along with Mayor P Neeraja, released fishlings, supplied free of cost to fishermen by the government, into Lakaram Tank here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said the TRS government was promoting caste-based professions on a large scale in the State.

Besides agriculture, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is keen on developing the allied sectors too. The promotion of aquaculture by the government with the free supply of fish seed has been reaping rich benefits to the fishermen community all over Telangana, Vijay Kumar noted.

He appealed to the fishermen to make use of the government schemes and grow economically. Local corporator and senior TRS leader Karnati Krishna and others were also present.

At another programme, Vijay Kumar distributed essential commodities under the aegis of a charitable organisation Gospel for Tribal Social Service Society (GTSSS) in Khammam.

Essential items like rice, sugar, cooking oil, salt, wheat flour, multi-vitamin tablets, vitamin C tablets and sanitisers were given to around 200 poor families in the 35th and 36th municipal Divisions.

The SUDA Chairman appreciated the founder of GTSSS, Bishop M Jacob for helping the needy who were affected due to Covid-19 crisis. Corporator Pasumarthi Rammohan, GTSSS representatives Y Srivenu, V John Reddy, N John, G Murali Krishna Reddy and others were present.

About GTSSS:

 Jacob Marineni, a native Indian brother, founded GTSSS. GTSSS is committed to bringing the hope of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and His love to a suffering and dying humanity through practical means. "The Gospel in one hand and bread in the other," says GTSSS.

It is involved in a variety of ministerial activities such as church planting, Bible college operation, educating and housing orphans and handicapped children, providing a home for the aged and poorest, providing medical care for lepers, conducting free medical clinics etc.as the Lord opens doors.

 The government announced on Tuesday a net subsidy of Rs 28,655 crore for phosphate and potash (P&K) fertilizers for October / March of this fiscal year to ensure that farmers get affordable nutrients during the rabbi planting season.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates (NBS) for Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers for the period from October 2021 to March 2022. The Rabi season begins in October.

 According to the NBS, the funding rates for N (nitrogen) per kg have been set at Rs 18,789, P (phosphor) Rs 5,323, K (potash) Rs 10,116 and S (sulfur) Rs 2,37, according to an official statement. 

The NBS rate, which was raised in June for the Kharif season (April / September), has been extended through March 2022, according to sources.

Although the NBS rate was not increased, sources said that through a one-time special package, the government provided additional subsidies of around 6.5 billion rupees to DAP (diammonium phosphate) and three other NPK fertilizers to help keep retail prices high.

 After urea, DAP is the most used by farmers. According to an official statement, the "total amount of the renovation will be 28,602 million rupees".

In the case of urea, the center has set the maximum retail prices and reimburses the difference between the MRP and the cost of production in the form of subsidies.

 The state capital is experiencing a 25% increase in vegetable prices, infuriating wholesalers who claim that rain and a rise in fuel prices are the main reasons behind the price increase.

Adil Khan, president of Azadpur Agricultural Market, said: “Generally, the prices of vegetables go up after the rainy season. But this time the situation is a little different. The way fuel prices are rising is causing problems Vegetables arriving in Delhi come from other states. And from Azadpur Mandi it is shipped to NCR and North India. Due to the rise in diesel prices, the price increased by 15 percent ”.

“The effects are shown like this in vegetables and fruits. The price that went up due to the rainy season will go down over time, but I think the price that went up for diesel will go down when the central government cuts fuel prices, "Khan said.

" The situation in Azadpur Mandi is that they have to buying vegetables from distant places as crops in neighboring states have been spoiled by the rain. When the new harvests arrive, the prices of vegetables will go down. There will certainly be a drop in vegetable prices later this month. In general, vegetable prices increase by 10-15% after monsoons and decrease when new crops arrive. But this time it went up 25 because of the increase in fuel prices, "Khan added.

Mahesh, a wholesaler from Okhla Mandi, said:" Tomatoes used to cost 1020 rupees in the wholesale market, now it is 40 rupees, the reason is a increased rains in Maharashtra and Karnataka, where all crops have been damaged. That's why prices have gone up. "
" An increase in fuel prices is also one of the reasons, but the main reason for the increase in vegetable prices is the rain. The work is less than before. We don't have much work. Products sell, but not the way they used to be. People have no money. After Covid, everyone is lost. A person who used to buy 1 kg of tomatoes will now buy 250 g. People are consuming less because prices have risen, ”he added.
Abdul Rasheed, another Okhla Mandi wholesaler, said: “There is inflation. Consumption is less. The goods that go on the market are less. Fuel prices are going up. It has a direct impact on the cost of goods. There is no income. The goods are not for sale. Everyone is worried be it consumers or be it, sellers. Business is finished".
Abrar Ahmed, a wholesaler at Okhla Mandi said, "The price of Ridged Gourd (Tori) is 2030 rupees per kg. Earlier we used to get it at 1214 rupees. We used to sell it at 1516 rupees and earn 12 rupees from it. Today the price is 30 rupees. So if we give a customer the price of Rs 40, they refuse to buy it. It is not just the vegetables that are expensive. There is inflation in everything, be it oil, grain, "said Ahmed.