Category Archives: Agriculture

Masula scientists develop salinity-resistant paddy seed

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology
Scientists of Agricultural Research Station display MCM-103, a new paddy seed variety at Machilipatnam in Krishna District. Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu
Scientists of Agricultural Research Station display MCM-103, a new paddy seed variety at Machilipatnam in Krishna District. Photo: T. Appala Naidu / The Hindu

The seed varieties developed by Principal Scientist T. Anuradha and Scientist K. Nagendra Rao are MCM 103, a Kharif variety and Rabi variety MCM110, which are sanity resistant.

Plant breeding scientists of Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University’s Research Station at Machilipatnam have developed two new paddy seed varieties, exclusively meant for saline soil and the 10-year research has yielded expected results.

The seed varieties developed by Principal Scientist T. Anuradha and Scientist K. Nagendra Rao are MCM 103, a Kharif variety and Rabi variety MCM110. The duration of crop period of the varieties is 140 and 120 days respectively.

“The Directorate of Rice Research (DRR), Hyderabad, has tagged the MCM 103 as the best paddy seed variety among the 40 entries from across the country in 2013. The DRR has also tested the variety in the six states, where it gave expected results including yield and quality grain”, T. Anuradha told The Hindu.

“The MCM-103 seed variety gives nearly six tonnes of yield while the MCM-110 gives up to 5.5 tonnes per hectare”, she added. The scientists have claimed that the yield of the two varieties would arguably be much higher in the normal soil. Another Scientist K. Nagendra Rao added that the MCM 103 is being tested in the saline fields in the coastal Andhra districts from the ongoing Kharif season and the other variety would also be tested from the next Rabi season in the State.

The District Agricultural Advisory & Transfer of Technology Centre in the respective districts in the State had selected the fields to test the seed varieties from the Kharif-2015. “The medium duration paddy varieties will primarily encourage the farmers to turn the saline soil fields into cultivable fields. The varieties will also ensure better yield”, opined Ms. Anuradha.

Farmers indebted to scientists:

The farmers having saline soil are indebted to the scientists, said Ms. Anuradha and Mr. Nagendra Rao, who had developed two paddy seed varieties – MCM 100 and 101- in 2011. It has been proposed for seeking approval of the Andhra Pradesh State’s Seed Varietal Release Committee for final release of the two varieties into the market.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by T. Appala Naidu /Machilipatnam – July 31st, 2015

GCC re-entering coffee mart after two decades

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

Visakhapatnam  :

After nearly two decades, the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) is re-entering the coffee sector in the Visakha Agency again and is targeting marketing around 2,000 metric tonnes of coffee procured from small tribal farmers in the Visakha Agency this year.

According to records, there are around one lakh tribals cultivating on nearly 96,337 acres and producing around 6,500 metric tonnes of coffee every year, which fetches around Rs 65 crore. With GCC’s support, the farmers are expected to earn around Rs 91 crore.

GCC has already identified 14 godowns to store the coffee stocks in the Agency and collection of material will start from December this year. It plans to set up one procurement centre each at the village level and two big centres each at the mandal level. GCC has already initiated awareness campaigns in each hamlet in June, inviting coffee growing farmers to enroll their names.

The corporation plans to register the data such as names of farmers, bank account numbers and Aadhaar number in July and August. It is likely to recruit separate manpower for coffee-related activities in September.

“The output and price realization in the Agency areas is very low due to improper harvesting techniques and marketing. If we provide guidance to coffee growing farmers in harvesting and marketing the produce, they will surely benefit. Currently, farmers get a very low price for their produce. If we market the same stocks, their earnings will increase by nearly 40% as we will ensure that each farmer gets the maximum price for his produce. GCC will be taking care of marketing the coffee from this financial year,” GCC managing director A Ravi Prakash said.

“GCC will take care of the pruning, curing, transport and auction of coffee. GCC will bear the entire cost of this and will be reimbursed by the government later. The state government will give Rs 25 crore initially and the Coffee Board will give a subsidy too. GCC will an organized marketing platform for small farmers,” he said.

This is not the first time that GCC is involved in the coffee sector. It had floated the Girijan Plantation Cooperative Development Corporation (GPCDC) in 1986 and developed 40,000 acres of plantation. However, GPCDC wound up its activities in 1997 and the plantation area was distributed among farmers and ITDA staff, sources said.

Meanwhile, the state government has also announced that GCC will provide marketing support for the Paderu Coffee Project, under which the government will invest Rs 526.16 crore in adding another one lakh acres under coffee plantations in the next 10 years. The project was announced by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on October 17 last year after Cyclone Hudhud and a GO was released by the tribal welfare department last month.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / July 03rd, 2015

Thotapalli Reservoir Becomes a Reality after 12 Long Years

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All
A view of the Thotapalli Reservoir in Vizianagaram district | EXPRESS PHOTO
A view of the Thotapalli Reservoir in Vizianagaram district | EXPRESS PHOTO

Vizianagaram / Srikakulam : 

After more than a decade, the farmers of the ayacut area of Thotapalli reservoir are overjoyed that their dreams of irrigating their lands would be finally realised. The much-delayed Thotapalli project, except for minor works, has been completed and the Irrigation Department is making arrangements to release the waters from the reservoir in the third week of July.

NumbersANDHRA01jul2015

Thousands of farmers and their families of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts are excited about prospects of receiving Thotapalli reservoir waters to kick-start the kharif season. The farmers who come under the project ayacut have been suffering as there is no irrigation water to cultivate their fields. Depending on rainwater, some of the farmers who tried to cultivate their lands faced severe financial losses as rains eluded them in the peak season.

In order to provide irrigation water to about 1.24 lakh acres in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, the government had taken up the Thotapalli reservoir on the Nagavali river in 2003. The project timeline was five years and the estimated cost of the project was `450 crore. The cost later escalated to about `800 crore due to the abnormal delay in executing the project.

The district administration faced a tough time in acquiring 1,100 acres of land for the project. There were a series of agitations by land losers for relief and rehabilitation. After clearing several hurdles, the department completed all the construction works of the reservoir and its 117-km-long main canal.

According to the government’s assurance to the farmers, water from Thotapalli will be available for the 2015 kharif season. The irrigation officials, on a war-footing, completed the works to release the water in the third week of July.

“Pending minor works relating to the 29 distributary canals, four branch canals and two NH crossing works will be completed by July 2. The 117-km-long right main canal of the reservoir was completed except the tail-end 2 km. There is a railway crossing across the 2-km-long canal which will be completed next year. The department had already paid `4 crore to the Indian Railways. Under the Thotapalli project, water will be provided to 40,000 acres (original target was 62,000 acres) in Vizianagaram district and another 40,000 acres in Srikakulam district (aiming to provide 58,000 acres) this year,” said Tirumala Rao, Thotapalli project superintending engineer.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by VK Lakshmi Gayatri / June 30th, 2015

Red sanders has medicinal properties, say researchers

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

Hyderabad :

Red sanders, the prized wood that thrives in the Seshachalam forests in Chittoor-Kadapa-Nellore region of Andhra Pradesh, has been found to possess a plethora of medicinal properties to fight several diseases and disorders including gastroenteritis, ulcers and diabetes.

A joint study by researchers from four prominent educational institutions revealed that the leaves, wood and roots of red sanders tree contain many chemical molecules that have curative properties.

Red sanders, its high demand in the international market notwithstanding, has always remained an enigma as for as its real end use is concerned. There have been several myths attached to the red sanders in the absence of concerted efforts to study the pharmaceutical and other benefits of this rare and endemic tree.

In fact, the AP forest department has instituted a research study to find out what the buyers would actually do with the red sanders. The study is currently underway.

Meanwhile, researchers from MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Karnataka, Prist University, Tamil Nadu, Sebha University, Libya, and Mother Theresa Postgraduate and Research Institute of Health Science, Pondicherry, have validated a few of the medicinal properties of red sanders.

The tree has anti-bacterial properties with clear action against harmful bacteria like Enterobacter aerogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Some of these bacteria are found in hospital environment with resistance to certain antibiotics.

Red sanders is also capable of fighting eye diseases, inducing vomiting and giving relief from mental issues.

“The heartwood is known to possess molecules which help in fighting diabetes, intestinal worms, high body temperatures, body swellings, diarrhea, and internal bleeding. Many more pharmacological activities, claimed by traditional practitioners, are yet to be explored,” the study published in the World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research said.

The research team comprised S Kavimani, Mohammad Azamthulla and R Balasubramanian.

Some of the claims, which still need scientific revalidation, are the ability of the red sanders oil to cure skin diseases, piles, wounds, bone fracture, psoriasis and leprosy, they said adding that “research interest to evaluate its therapeutic potential has developed recently perhaps on realization that the tree may contain novel chemicals, which exhibit a wide range of pharmacological effects”.

Times View

Red sanders is an enigma and this explains why there is such a high demand for this wood in the international market. Some believe it is an aphrodisiac. Others argue that it is an antidote for snakebites and scorpion stings. As long as the myth associated with red sanders is not busted, smuggling of the prized wood continues. The AP forest department should involve as many research bodies as possible to decode the red sanders and protect this rare tree from being axed by smugglers.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Syed Akbar, TNN / June 25th, 2015

‘Grow Gliricidia to increase soil fertility’

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

As agricultural production in Andhra Pradesh is being increasingly impacted by adverse weather, farmers are searching for ways to mitigate the loss. Lost in desperation, they are not realising that there is a widely available tree which enriches the soil fertility multifold with little human intervention and negligible investments.

Commonly known as ‘fencing plant’, it is known for many generations but the farming community has almost forgotten it under the belief that chemical fertilizers are a sure-shot solution to the problem poor soil quality. Scientifically known asGliricidia Sepium, these trees add valuable nutrients such nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous to the soil thereby increasing its fertility many times more than any other nutrient can do.

It is a multipurpose legume tree that increases soil productivity and yields in addition to reducing soil erosion and control pollution associated with the use of chemical fertilizers.

The biggest advantage is sustainable agricultural productivity that Gliricidia brings. Natural Organic Farmers’ Association treasurer Ch. R.K. Prasad told The Hindu that Gliricidia was a boon for farmers and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) recommends it time and again to farmers for achieving higher yields and contribute to environment but emphasis was more on use of chemical fertilizers, which was the trend in many countries.

Farm bunds

As the economy of Andhra Pradesh is heavily dependent on agriculture in the changed circumstances, the NOFA requested the government to motivate farmers and facilitate the growing of Gliricidia trees on farm bunds and borders of agricultural fields.

The results can be seen in a few months as the soil fertility goes up and no chemical fertilizer is a match to Gliricidia.

Also called ‘live fencing tree’, a Gliricidia tree grows anywhere. Farmers have to grow it to see its immense benefits as the ICRISAT had demonstrated.

The Agriculture Department is being asked to take necessary action so that the farmers can herald a potential revolution.

Commonly known as ‘fencing plant’, these trees add valuable nutrients such nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous to the soil

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Staff Reporter / Vijayawada – June 18th, 2015

Workshop for Ryots on Organic Farming

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders

Visakhapatnam :

Prakruti Vyavasaaya Raithangam, an organisation working for the welfare of farmers, will organise a workshop on ‘organic farming’ for farmers of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts, at Ambedkar Assembly Hall in Andhra University on May 4 and 5. Subhash Palekar, the pioneer of this  methodology, will brief the farmers on the advantages of bio-fertilisers and pesticides against the chemical ones. On May 4, from 10 am, Palekar will educate the farmers about ‘zero-budget farming’, and on  May 5, he will talk on the ‘back to nature’ policy towards farming.

Subhash Palekar, born in a farmer’s family in Maharashtra, conducted experiments in 154 regions, including farmland and forests, and has come up with a natural substance named ‘Jeevamrutha’ that can be used to improve soil fertility in arid and semi-arid regions. He launched it 15 years ago and had been promoting it ever since.

M Pavan Kumar, the convenor of Prakruthi Vyavasaaya Raithangam, told mediapersons here Sunday that the workshop would include farmers who had already benefited from the nature methodology. They will interact with the farmers who are not aware of it. The farmers will also be provided practical training.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / April 06th, 2015

Now, Rooftops Turn into Gardens

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
A garden being raised on the terrace of a house at Brindavan Colony in Vijayawada | Express Photo
A garden being raised on the terrace of a house at Brindavan Colony in Vijayawada | Express Photo

Vijayawada :

The Horticulture Department has launched a new initiative called ‘Terrace Gardening’, under the ‘Rashtriya Krishi Yojana, with a view to encourage people to grow their own vegetables, according to a source.

The source told Express here on Saturday that as part of the initiative, the department was also providing a ‘Do it yourself’ kit to the interested people for their kitchen garden with a 50 per cent subsidy.

The source said that as gardening was a favourite pastime for most of the housewives and retired people, the department had initiated this programme and added that it was providing the kit, consisting of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides besides some gardening tools, with a 50 per cent subsidy. He added that it was targeting those who were averse to spending huge amounts for buying vegetables from the market.

“The kit consists of five varieties of vegetable seeds like brinjal, tomato, etc., according, pesticides, fertilizers, four silkolene covers, two cages for plants like tomato, red sand, neem cake, a water-sprinkler and other gardening tools along with a technical booklet with instructions, totally costing `6,000. This will be provided at a cost of `3,000 to the applicants, with the remaining `3,000 being borne by the Horticulture Department.

This has been introduced to provide a platform for the city-dwellers to cultivate their own vegetables on their rooftops,” said Krishna district Horticulture Department assistant director S Sujatha.

She said that the residents of Vijayawada, who wanted to avail themselves of the scheme needed to have 50-100 square feet of space on the roof of their houses and an overhead water tank. Taking into consideration the climatic conditions of the city, the Horticulture Department was issuing lightweight containers, waterproof covers, bio-pesticides, water-soluble pesticides and fungicides and thus providing an opportunity to the people to cultivate pure organic vegetables in the available space.

The officer said that the initiative was evoking a good public response and added that more than 50 persons had started cultivating vegetables on their roof tops and balconies.

She added that her department’s new initiative has not only provided a satisfying hobby to the people but also helped them cut down their spending on vegetables from the market.

“As they need to invest little money and can grow their own choice of vegetables, people are showing interest. Terrace gardens also go a long way in reducing air pollution and heat in the house even as they and give the grower a chance to taste real organic produce,” Sujatha said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Sai Durga Gona / March 30th, 2015

New lease of life for Emu farmers

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature

EmuANDHRA30mar2015

It is no longer an endless struggle for Emu farmers in the State. They were in doldrums a few years ago, and most of them had given up the vocation and moved on.

However, some managed to continue, thanks to help from LB Processors, a US company, and they have now reached breakeven.

In line with a five-year contract between LB Processors and Emu Farmers Cooperative, the former will provide specialty oil to cosmetic and dietary supplement industries. It will also refine emu oil supplied to it by farmers before offering it to cosmetic industry.

LB Processors founder president Paul Binford and chief operating officer Caleb Binford, a father-son team, said they would buy a minimum of 12,000 gallons and a maximum of 20,000 gallons of oil a year from the oil extraction facility owned by the cooperative at Agiripalli in Krishna district.

Emu Farmers’ Cooperative Company CMD M.R. Rao Prasad said farmers had been struggling feed birds owing to financial constraints a couple of years ago. With bankers abandoning them, most farmers moved to other vocations. However, a group of 16 farmers, with the help of CMI, a consultant, set up a quality extraction unit and worked out a way to air-lift emu oil to the United States in May 2013.

They have exported 18,350 gallons (68,730 litres) of oil since then, Mr. Rao Prasad said. CMI US director Rajan Eadara said LB Processors made use of an all-natural process to refine the oil. Meanwhile, the number of emu farmers in the cooperative has gone up from 16 to 40.

The cooperative also plans to sell ready-to-cook frozen meat shortly. “There is a growing market for emu skin also, and, in future, the cooperative is planning to sell cosmetics made from emu oil,” Mr. Rao Prasad said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by G. Venkataramana Rao / Vijayawada – March 29th, 2015

‘Araku showing the way in bio-dynamic farming’

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment
A picturesque view of Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district. - Photo: K R Deepak / Business Line
A picturesque view of Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district. – Photo: K R Deepak / Business Line

Visakhapatnam :

The Araku valley in Visakhapatnam district, known previously as only a hot tourist spot, has become famous for its coffee cultivation during the past 10-15 years and in the years to come it will also be recognised as a large bio-dynamic farming zone, according to Manoj Kumar, CEO of Hyderabad-based Naandi Foundation.

He said in an interview that so far “the focus has only been on chemical agriculture, or organic agriculture, but the future belongs to bio-dynamic agriculture which preserves bio-diversity and takes care of soil nutrition.”

The Girijans of Araku valley are practising bio-dynamic agriculture, he said, with the help of NGOs like Naandi.

He said bio-dynamic farming would produce organic food, improve quality and yields of crops as well and enrich soil. “If we pursue bio-dynamic farming, there is really no need for GM crops,” he said.

In the years to come, Araku valley will be recognised as a large bio-dynamic farming zone
In the years to come, Araku valley will be recognised as a large bio-dynamic farming zone

He said the foundation would continue to encourage and help the Girijans in the valley to pursue coffee cultivation and in future it would also take up mango cultivation. “We will encourage them to grow Banganapalli variety of mango which is famous in AP,” he said and the target was to have 40,000-50,000 tonnes of mangoes from the valley.

Manoj Kumar said coffee and cash crops were bringing prosperity to the region, but there was also the danger that with prosperity consumerist trends may gain ground, and that would be detrimental to the natural habitat of the tribals and their nutrition may also suffer. “We are educating them and sensitising them on the crucial aspect,” he explained.

He said the Mahindra & Mahindra group was financing the project along with some European companies, and “the Government has to come up with the right policy framework to encourage the private sector and the NGOs working in the area.” He said Chief Minister N. Chandra Babu Naidu had adopted a village in the Araku valley and promised all co-operation in its development effort.

He said that after the devastation of Hudhud cyclone in the valley a massive afforestation drive would be taken up to make up for the lost green cover.

sarma.rs@thehindu.co.in

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Agri-Biz / by The Hindu Bureau / Visakhakhapatnam – March 11th, 2015