DATE:16.10.2014

WorrisomeTrendsinAgriculture

The HinduThe latest Economic Appraisal of the government has shown that Tamil Naduneedsout-of-the-boxpoliciestotackleagricultureproductionanditsimpactonfoodinflation.FilePhoto

Lowoutputandlandfragmentationarecriticalissues,sayssurveyThewritingonthewallforTamilNaduinagricultureisprettyclear,thoughtheState’sgrainproductionduring2013-14wasgood.ThelatestEconomicAppraisalofthegovernmenthasshownthatTamilNaduneedsout-of-the-boxpoliciestotackleagricultureproductionanditsimpactonfoodinflation.The State did well in 2013-14 to bounce back from a nightmaredrought intheprecedingyear.Datashowthatbetween2011and2013, the total production dropped by 45 per cent, from 101.52lakh tonnes to 56.05 lakh tonnes. Paddy, the principal crop,declinedby46percent.In 2013-14, estimates put the total production at 110.65 lakhtonnes,afiguresimilartothepre-droughtyear.However, it isthedata underlying the fundamentals of agriculture that require acloserreading.

According to theappraisal,while both areaunder cultivationandyieldperhectareincreasedduringthe10thFiveYearPlanperiod(2002-2007), the figures dropped by 5.76 per cent and 2.65 percent in the 11th Plan period (2007-2012), with food cropsproduction, consisting primarily of paddy, millets and pulses,decliningby3.08percent.Officials of the AgricultureDepartment say that since the 1970s,theareaundercultivationhadgonedownfrom70lakhhectaresto45lakhhectares,whatwithrapidurbanisation.

Significantly, going along with the drop in cultivated land is theyieldgap.Forexample, theappraisalsays intermsofpaddy, thepotentialyield fixedafteron-farmtrialswas6 tonnesahectare inthecurrentscenario.In 2011-2012,whichwas a favourable year in terms of rain andirrigation,theaverageyieldwasonly3.9tonnesahectare.Inotherwords,thegapbetweenpotentialyieldandactualyieldwasabout2.08tonnesahectare.While production alone was not the deciding factor for foodinflation,itisneverthelessacontributingfactor.Between2011and2014, the foodprice inflation in theState increased from7.4percentto12.1percent.ItisduringthisperiodthattheStatefacedaseveredrought.

Experts feel that in a situation where there is little scope forexpansionofareaundercultivation,usageoftechnologybecomesvitalforproductionmaximisation."The only answer is increasing (per hectare) productivity. This iswhy increasing fragmentation in agricultural landholding is aproblem,” says C. Rangarajan, former Economic Advisor to thePrimeMinister.Mr. Rangarajan’s comment is significant, given the nature ofagriculturelandholdingsintheState.Officialsestimatethat92percent of all farmers (nine in ten) in Tamil Nadu are small andmarginal farmers. In other words, lack of scale is hindering theimplementationoftechnology,showinginthepooryieldresults.AseniorofficialpointsoutthattheStateisindeedawareoftheseissues and has begun experimenting with cooperative farming.There is also focus on expandingSystemofRice Intensification,whichhasgivensignificantresultsinimprovingtheyield.But experts feel a lot needs to be done to tackle a potentialsaturation given the present indicators. "Our productivity is verylowbyglobalstandards.There is a lot of scope to increase yield. But the requiredgovernmentstructurestoaccomplishthisareeithernon-existentornot functional,"saysK.Sivasubramaniyanof theMadras InstituteofDevelopmentStudies

Scientif ic inputsvital:Chandy

THE HINDUChief Minister Oommen Chandy inaugurates theScientists’ Interfacemeet organised by the Kerala State Councilfor Science, Technology and Environment in the capital onWednesday.PHOTO:S.MAHINSHAMr.ChandysaidtheStategovernmentwasreadytohandovertheJawaharlalNehruTropicalBotanicGardenandResearchInstitute(JNTBGRI)totheCentreChief Minister Oommen Chandy has called upon researchers toprovidescientificinputsforthedevelopmentofkeysectorssuchasagriculture, infrastructure, forest conservation, and watermanagementintheState.Delivering the inaugural addressat theScientists’ Interfacemeetorganised by the Kerala State Council for Science, TechnologyandEnvironment(KSCSTE)hereonWednesday,Mr.Chandysaidresearch inputs in priority sectorswere critical for the social andeconomicdevelopmentoftheState.Heexhortedscientists tomakeuseof theavailable facilitiesandresources to come up with innovations that would contribute tonation-building. He assured that the government would try tocreate an environment for young scientists to realise their fullpotential.

Mr.ChandysaidtheStategovernmentwasreadytohandovertheJawaharlalNehruTropicalBotanicGardenandResearchInstitute(JNTBGRI)totheCentre.CitingtheexamplesoftheRajivGandhiCentre for Biotechnology (RGCB) and the National Centre forEarth Science Studies, he said both the institutions had beencarefully nurtured by the State before being transferred to theCentre for further development. “The decision to hand overJNTBGRIisguidedbytheviewthatthegrowthoftheinstitutionismoreimportantthanitsadministration,”hesaid.Mr.ChandyreleasedahandbookonresearchscientistsinvariousdisciplinesintheState.HealsoreleasedthelatestissueofSastra,a tri-monthlypublishedby theKSCSTE.KSCSTEexecutivevice-presidentV.N.RajasekharanPillaipresidedoverthefunction.Foratreeoneveryf ieldboundary

Special ArrangementGOING GREEN: Agroforestry provides analternative to increasing forest green cover. Picture shows anagroforestryfarminCoimbatore.

Agroforestrypromotesproductivecroppingenvironments,preventsdeforestation,protectswatershedsandenablesagriculturallandtowithstandextremeweathereventsGrowing trees on farms is a triple-win strategy for combatingsimultaneously the challenges of increasing food production,mitigatinggreenhousegasesandadaptingtoclimatechange.Itisan instrument of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), catapulted tocentre-stagebyPresidentObama’s launchof theGlobalAlliancefor CSA at theWorld Climate Summit on September 23 at NewYork.Itwasfitting, therefore, that “Trees forLife”wasthe themeof theWorldAgroforestryCongress held earlier this year inNewDelhi.On this occasion the previous United Progressive Alliancegovernment,supportedbytheNationalAdvisoryCouncil,unveiledthe National Agroforestry Policy coinciding aptly with theInternationalYearofFamilyFarming.Benefitsoftree-basedfarmingWhile planting trees on farms is as old as settled cultivation,“agroforestry” is a recently coined term derived from agricultureand forestry. It describes practices developed and employed byfarmers over many centuries to cultivate trees on farmlandtogether with crop and animal husbandry. While agroforestrycomprises agriculture and forestry in seemingly separate landuses, its essence is of an integrated tree-based farming system.Thescienceandtechnology,theinstitutions,andpolicysphereofagroforestryisuniquelyitsownandcharacterisedbyalandscapeapproach.Whenstrategicallyappliedonalargescale,withappropriatemixoftree species, agroforestry promotes productive and resilientcropping environments, prevents deforestation, protectswatersheds and enables agricultural land to withstand extremeweatherevents,andclimatechange.

Tree-based farming systems have significant

potential to provide employment to rural and urban

populations throughproductionand industrialapplication

Tree-basedsystemscontributerobustlytolivelihoodsbyprovidingboth tree products and tree services. The bounties they offerincludetreeproductssuchasfruit,fodder,fuel,fibre,fertilizerandtimber which add to food and nutritional security, and incomegenerationandinsuranceagainstcropfailure.Theseproductsaretangible,havemoneyvalueandaretradableinthemarkets.Treesalsogeneratewealththroughtheservicestheyprovideintheformof soil andwater conservation, nutrient recycling, carbonstorageand biodiversity preservation. These services are intangible, noteasy to quantify, and do not lend themselves to monetaryvaluation.Atpresentthereisnopaymentforeco-servicesprovidedbytree-basedfarmingsystems.Agroforestry has significant potential to provide employment torural and urban populations through production, industrialapplication and value addition ventures. Current estimates showthatabout64percentof thecountry’s timber requirement ismetfrom the treesgrownon farms.Agroforestryhas thepotential foraugmenting energy capacity through biomass, biodiesel, biocharand biogas production. It is also recognised that agroforestry isperhaps the only alternative to meeting the target of increasingforestgreencover.Despite all this, agroforestry has not become the movement itshouldhave.Foralongtimethesubjectfellbetweenthecracksof“agriculture”and“forestry”withnoownershipbyeithersector.Thevalueandpositionofagroforestry in thenationalsystem remainsambiguous and undervalued. It has been disadvantaged byadverse policies and legal bottlenecks. Its adoption by tenant-farmersisconstrainedduetoinsecurityoftenure.Thesubjectliesfragmented in several Ministries with hardly any mechanism for

convergence and coordination. Inadequate investment in thesectorisalsoacauseforneglect.Unlikethecreditandinsuranceproducts available for the crop sector, the provisions for growingtrees-on-farms are minimal. Weak marketing infrastructure,absenceofpricediscoverymechanismsand lackofpost-harvestprocessingtechnologiesfurthercompoundthesituation.WoodBasedIndustries(WBI)haveplayedanimportantroleinthepromotion of agroforestry and economy in Punjab, Haryana,western U.P and in Uttarakhand. However, over the years, theregulations governing the WBI have become stringent. Theprocedureforsettingupnewunitsiscumbersome.ThewayforwardTheNational Agroforestry Policy has pointed theway forward tofoster innovation in tree-based farming systems, among variousstakeholders.Forlawmakersthiswouldmeanamendingunfavourablelegislationand simplifying regulations related to forestry and agriculture.Policymakersaretoincorporateagroforestryinallpoliciesrelatingto land use and natural resource management, and encouragegovernment investments in agroforestry-related infrastructure,research and education and in the establishment of sustainableenterprises. Development administrators are to develop aninstitutional framework to ensure coordination between variouselements of agroforestry scattered in existing missions andprogrammes. Farmers are to demand improved agroforestryscience and technology from the public research and extensionsystems, loan and insurance products from financial institutions,and adopt suitable varieties and agronomic practices. Scientistsand researchers are to develop location-specific tree-basedtechnologies that complement thecropand livestocksystems forsustainablelivelihoods,factoringenderconcerns,andincorporatethefeedbackfromlocalcommunities.

Extension agents, NGOs and farmer organisations are todemonstrate new technologies, build capacities of farmers andhelpinlinkingproducerstomarketsandvaluechains.Theprivatesectoristoinvestinagroforestrybothasacommercialenterpriseas well as through the route of Corporate Social Responsibility.Finally,themediaistocommunicatethebenefitsofagroforestrytousercommunities.Farmershaveencapsulatedtheessenceofagroforestryinapithyslogan “harmedh par pedh”(trees on every field boundary). It istimeforothers to turnoveranew leaf.Thechallengenow lies inthe detail of crafting a road map for the implementation of theNationalAgroforestryPolicybythenewgovernment.(Rita Sharma is a former Secretary in the Ministry of RuralDevelopment and the National Advisory Council and BoardTrusteeoftheWorldAgroforestryCentre.)

KCRfornewlandacquisit ionProposes paying twice the registration value for land acquired inurbanandscheduledareasascompensationAmeeting convenedbyChiefMinisterK.ChandrasekharRao todiscuss land acquisition issues, considered paying twice theregistrationvaluefor landacquired inurbanandscheduledareasascompensationandone-and-a-halftimesofitinotherplaces.Mr. Rao asked officials to prepare a legislation suiting therequirements of Telangana and one that was favourable to landoustees.Thelegislationshouldensurethattheagriculturallandtobeacquiredisnotmorethan15percentsothatthereisnothreatto food security. The maximum land for industries should notexceed2,000acres.At the meeting, which also discussed rehabilitation of landoustees, Mr. Rao felt the government should adopt a humaneapproachtowardsland-ownerswhentheirholdingswereacquired

for irrigation projects and other developmental programmes. Therehabilitationpackagesshouldbeextendedasearlyaspossible.The meeting studied the land acquisition and rehabilitationlegislation of the Centre and the rules framed by different Stategovernmentsforthepurpose.Recalling thepain thathisown familyhadundergonewhen theirprimelandwasacquiredfortheconstructionofLowerManairDamproject inKarimnagar,Mr.Raosaidthecompensationpayabletooustees should be liberal. The amount should bemore than theregistration value because therewas a huge difference betweenmarketandregistrationvalues.The Chief Minister wanted highest priority for land oustees inirrigation projects as their numerical strength would be more inviewofhigherdemandforland.Asfaraspossible,compensationshouldbepaidtolandlosersinconsultationwiththem.Stateanddistrictlevelcommitteesshouldbeconstitutedforthepurpose.Theamountshouldbedepositedinbanksinadvancesothatlosersdonothavetogotogovernmentofficesfrequently.TheeconomicconsequencesofNehruWhilethefailuretoinitiateaprogrammeofbuildingthecapabilitiesofamajorityofIndiansisamoralfailure,wewouldbemissingthelarger perspective if we do not recognise the economicsignificance of the short Nehru era in the long haul of India’shistoryAcalltoburnhistorybookshasuppedtheanteasthe125thbirthanniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru approaches. The trouble withhistory though is that it would be prudent for us to first learn itslessons lest we end up repeating our mistakes. As Nehru wasIndia’slongestservingPrimeMinister,andbothtriumphaswellastragedy had accompanied his tenure, this is a fit occasion for apublicdebateonwhathadbeenattempted in theNehrueraand

the extent of its success. I must per force confinemyself to theeconomics. This, though would serve as a corrective to thetendency of political historians to most often concentrate on theother aspects of his leadership. For instance, Sarvepalli Gopal’snoted three-volume biography bestows a single chapter onNehru’seconomicpolicy.However,readingthroughthespeechesofNehru,wefindthattheeconomyhadremainedhiscontinuingpreoccupationevenamidstthe debates on social policy in the Lok Sabha and ondecolonisationintheUnitedNations.Readingthemisinanycaseadvisable,asstronglyheldpositionsontheeconomyintheNehruerahaveoftenbeen crowded in by ideological predilectionwhentheyhavenotbeencloudedoverbyignorance.Nehru-MahalanobisstrategyTheobjectiveoftheeconomicpolicyinthe1950swastoraisepercapita income in the country via industrialisation. The vehicle forthis was the Nehru-Mahalanobis strategy, the decision on thishaving been taken as early as 1938 by the National PlanningCommitteeoftheCongressconstitutedbySubhasChandraBoseduringhisall-too-briefandill-fatedpresidentshipoftheparty.ThecommitteewaschairedbyNehru.Thecornerstoneof thestrategywastobuildmachinesasfastaspossibleascapitalgoodswereseenasabasicinputinalllinesofproduction. While a mathematical model devised by PrasantaChandraMahalanobis had lent a formal status to the strategy, itwas the so-called “plan frame” that had guided the allocation ofspending.Inretrospect,theallocationofinvestmentacrosslinesofproductionintheSecondFive-YearPlanwasquitebalancedwithattentiongivenalsotoinfrastructure,thebuildingofwhich—giventhe state of the economy then— the public sector alone wouldhaveinitiated.

TheNehru-Mahalanobisstrategyhadcriticisedevenattheoutset.Ishalldiscusstwoofthecriticismsatthisstageandturntoathirdat a later stage. Thus, Vakil and Brahmananda argued that theMahalanobismodelneglectedwagegoods,beingthoseconsumedbyworkerswhowerethemajorityofthecountry.Whileimportantperse,inpracticalterms,thiscriticismturnedouttobesomewhatacademicastheplanframe—asopposedtothemodel — had given due importance to agriculture. In fact, theGreen Revolution which is dated from the late 1960s cannotentirely be divorced from the attention paid to agriculture in theNehruera.The ‘Grow More Food’ campaign and the trials in the country’sextendedagriculturalresearchnetworkbothcontributedtoit.Next,B.R. Shenoy had famously dissented from his fellow economistsby querying the use of controls as part of the planning process.Shenoy’s is a well-known position in economic theory that theallocative efficiency of the competitivemarket-mechanism cannotbeimprovedupon.Whilethisisausefulcorrectivetoham-handedgovernment intervention, itwas knownevenby the 1950s that afree market need not necessarily take the economy to the nextlevel.The Pax Britannica had been a time of free markets, thoughcoated with political repression, and this had not helped Indiamuchduring the twocenturiessincePlassey.Moreover,manyofthe extant controls were wartime controls that had not beenrescinded. Investment licensing thoughwas a central element inplanninginIndiaandShenoywasrightinidentifyingitassuch.AneconomyquickenedAs themaxim “the proof of the pudding lies in the eating” mustapply most closely to matters economic, the Nehru-Mahalanobisstrategy can be considered only as good as its outcome. It hadaimedtoraisetherateofgrowthoftheeconomy.

With the distance that half a century affords us and the aid ofsuperiorstatisticalmethods,wearenowinthepositiontoseethatits early success was nothing short of spectacular. Dependinguponyoursource,percapitaincomeinIndiahadeitherdeclinedorstagnated during the period 1900-47. Over 1950-65, its growthwasapproximately1.7percent.India’seconomy,whichwasnomore thanacolonialenclave formorethantwocenturies,hadbeenquickened.It ismadeoutthatthisquickeningachievedinthe1950swasnogreatshakesastheinitial level of income was low and a given increase in it wouldregister a higher rate of growth than at a later stage in theprogression.Thisconfoundsstatisticaldescriptionwitheconomicassessment.Itis a widely recognised feature of economic growth that everyincrease inwealthmakes thenext step thatmucheasier to takeduetoincreasingreturnstoscale.Theprincipleworksbothways,rendering the revival of an economy trapped at a low level ofincomethatmuchmoredifficult.It is worth stating in the context that the acceleration of growthachieved in the 1950s has not been exceeded since. Also, thatIndiagrewfasterthanChinaintheNehruera.

Theaccelerationofgrowthachievedinthe1950shas

not been exceeded since. Also, India grew faster than

ChinaintheNehruera SoiftheNehru-Mahalanobisstrategyhadledtosuchagoodstart,why were the early gains not sustained? The loss of an earlyvitalityintheeconomyhadtodopartlywithpoliticaleconomyandpartlywithaflawinthestrategyitself.ThedeathofNehrucreateda crisis of leadership in the Congress Party which wascommunicatedtothepolity.Ittookalmostadecade-and-a-halfforstabilitytoberestored.Theinstabilityimpactedthegovernanceofthe public sector, and public investment which had been the

engine of growth since the early 1950s slowed. Additionally, theprivate corporate sector, which contrary to conventional wisdomhad flourished under Nehru, was initially repressed by IndiraGandhi. Private investment collapsed. This held back theaccelerationofeconomicgrowth.NeglectofprimaryeducationEventhoughwenowhavereasontobelieve that themechanismof long-term growth that remains to this day, which is that ofcumulativecausation,hadbeenignitedbytheNehru-Mahalanobisstrategy,thestrategyitselfwasincomplete.This is best understood by reference to the Asian DevelopmentModelas ithadplayedout in theeconomiesofeastAsia.TheseeconomieshadpursuedmoreorlessthesamestrategyasIndiainthat the state fostered industrialisation. But a glaring differencemarks the Indian experience. Thiswas the absenceof a seriousefforttobuildhumancapabilitiesviaeducationandtraining.In the east this had taken the form of a spreading of schooling,vocational training and engineering education. In India, on theother hand, public spending on education had turned towardstechnicaleducationatthetertiaryleveltooearlyon.The slow spread of schooling ensured that the growth ofproductivityinthefarmandthefactoryremainedfartooslow.Nowthepaceofpovertyreductionalsoremainedslow,and,viapositivefeedback, slowed the expansion of demand needed for fastergrowthoftheeconomy.It is intriguing that the issue of schooling did not figure majorlyamong India’s planners, especially as it was a part of Gandhi’sConstructiveProgramme.

Thishadnotgoneunnoticedevenatthattime.B.V.Krishnamurthi,thenatBombayUniversity,hadpointedoutthattheprioritiesoftheSecond Five-Year Plan undergirded by the Mahalanobis modelwereskewed.Hecastigateditforabiastoward“river-valleyprojects,”reflectedinthe paltry sums allocated to education. But it was the argumentadvancedbyhimforwhyspendingonschoolingmattersthatwasprescient. He argued that education would enable Indians toattend to their livelihood themselves without relying on thegovernment, thus lightening the economic burden of the latter,presumablyleavingittobuildmorecapitalgoodsinthelongrunasenvisagedintheMahalanobismodel.Butthiswasnottobe,withenormous consequences for not only the economy but also theeffectivenessofdemocracyinIndia.Whilethefailuretoinitiateaprogrammeofbuildingthecapabilitiesof the overwhelming majority of our people is a moral failure ofcolossalproportions,wewouldbemissingthewoodforthetreesifwedonotrecognisetheeconomicsignificanceoftheshortNehruerainthelonghaulofIndia’shistory.Itwaspath-breakinginthatamoribundeconomyhadbeenquickened.This would have been the precondition for most changes in acountrywithunacceptablylowlevelsofpercapitaincome.Itisyetto be demonstrated how this could have been achieved in theabsenceoftheeconomicstrategynavigatedthroughademocraticpolitybyJawaharlalNehru.

Sell ingcheaptobethenorm

PotatoesandonionsforRs.5akgandothervegetablesforRs.3a kg for cyclone affected. Since close to eight lakh peopleweredirectlyaffectedby the cyclone inVisakhapatnamdistrict, 70percentofvegetableswillbesuppliedtothedistrict,whiletherestwillbesenttoVizianagaramandSrikakulamdistricts.ThegovernmentistakingallmeasuresforsaleofpotatoandonionatRs. 5 a kg andother vegetables atRs. 3 a kg throughRythuBazaars in the cyclone-hit districts of Visakhapatnam,VizianagaramandSrikakulam.“The Marketing Department and the respective districtadministrationshavebeentoldtoensurethatvegetablesaresoldat ratesprescribedby thegovernment.Thepracticewillcontinuetillnormalcy isrestored inthecyclone-hitareas,”saidRanjeevR.Acharya,PrincipalSecretary,HorticultureandAgriculture.Inall,209metrictonnesofvegetablesweresenttothecyclone-hitareasonOctober13and14 fromGuntur,Prakasham,WestandEast Godavari, Nellore and Krishna districts. In addition, 170metric tonnes of potato were sent to Visakhapatnam, she said.

Moreover, Rythu Bazaar EstateOfficers from respective districtswillensuretimelysupplyofvegetables.Since close to eight lakh people were directly affected by thecycloneinVisakhapatnamdistrict,70percentofvegetableswillbesuppliedtothedistrict,whiletherestwillbesenttoVizianagaramand Srikakulam districts. Among the districts that suppliedvegetables to the cyclone-affected areas, Krishna district toppedbysupplying58metrictonnes.Ms.Acharyaappreciatedtheeffortsofthedistrictadministrationforitsefforts

Harvestingtheveggiesof labour

Farmingenthusiasts in thecityarehavinga fielddaybygrowingthevegetablesfortheirtableandfortheirneighbourstoo.TodayisWorldFoodDayKitchen gardening, terrace farming, community farming, paddycultivation and vegetable gardening in schools and othereducational institutions… a lot of ground-breaking work is beingdoneinthecityanditsoutskirts,thankstothekeyroleplayedbyKrishi Bhavans, State HorticultureMission and Farm InformationBureau and non-governmental organisations such as AgrifriendsandBiotips.

The farmers come fromallwalksof life, right frompensioners toteachers, techies and homemakers. For instance, ChempakaKindergarten Annexe I at Pallimukku grows vegetables on theschool’sterrace.“OurfounderDaphneGomezinspiredustostartthis.Wehavea‘Vegetableday’andthechildrengetenthusedandinvolvedwhen they see how vegetables are actually grown.Ourteachersbuytheproduceandthemoneycollectedisinvestedforfarming activities,” says Monica Augustin, headmistress of theschool.Many of these farmers are now thinking of the next step toencourage more residents to romance the good earth. “I amadvocating the concept of ‘one hour point’, wherein varioushouseholds under a residents’ association cultivate differentvegetablesandonaparticularday theyall come together tosellthe produce. In fact, I used to sell the produce in front of myhome,”saysV.Unnikrishnan,a formerbankerwhowalkedoutofhiscabintoworkinhishomegarden.Home Greens, his one-stop venture for anything related toagriculture,will become functional soon and he is also an activemember of Kitchen Gardeners’ Forum, which has 20 members,whomeeton thesecondSaturdayofeverymonthandexchangeinformation on agriculture-related subjects. His plot is a veritablegreenhouseofvegetablesandplantswithmedicinalvalue.Nearlythreecentsoflandaroundhishouseandeveryavailablespaceontheterracehavebeenturnedintogreenspaces.Among the crops are tomato, lady’s finger (especially the longAnakkomban variety), brinjal, cowpea, beetroot, ivy gourd,plantain, tapioca, yams, palak, mango ginger, Surinam cherry,amaranthus…Earlier, he had successfully harvested soya bean,bokchoy,andsaladcucumbertoo.

“I am not marketing the produce, but it is a possibility worthexploring. There is no stress or strain and from dawn to dusk, Itend to my plants. Later, I am on Facebook interacting withmembersofvariousfarmingcommunities,”saysUnnikrishnan.Shafeek A. Shihab, a technical analyst with an MNC inTechnopark, is one of the ‘friends’’ Unnikrishnan interacts with.Shafeek’spolyhouseontherooftopofhishouseatPettahhelpedhimharvest800kgsaladcucumber.Recently,the25-year-oldhadabumperharvestofcowpeaandbittergourd.“The satisfaction you get from farming is beyond words,” saysShafeek,adding:“Rightnownearly25polyhousesarethereinthedistrict and by the end of this financial year, it would cross 40.”Now that the government has proposed to set up hi-tech polyhouseswiththehelpofKrishiBhavans,thenumbermightgoup.For Syamkumar K., an employee of the Kerala State ElectricityBoard,farmingisafamilyaffair,withhissonanddaughterpitchingin.Sincehecouldn’tcultivateonhis three-centplot,he turned tohis 700 sq ft terrace.His labour of lovewonhim theAgriculturalDepartment’sYuvakarshakaawardin2013.“Ialsokeephensandthedroppingsareusedasmanure.Aftertheaward,Itook40centsof land at Vattiyoorkavu on lease where I cultivated cauliflower,cabbage, cowpea, tomato, cucumber, carrot, brinjal and chillies,”saysSyamkumarwhoisalsoanactoranddubbingartiste.Meanwhile, some of the farming enthusiasts are giving shape tonewideastopromotefarming.JojiMathew,awebdeveloper,hasintroduced the concept of ‘weekend farming’. “It is for thosewholovetotakeupfarmingbutaretiedupwithmanyotherthings.We take land on lease and these people can come there onweekends and tend to the plants. We have already done it atSanthigiriAshram,Pothencode,and Iam looking forvacantplotsinthecity,”hesays.

Meanwhile,accordingtoFarmInformationBureau,alargenumberofyoungstersarecomingforwardtodocommunityfarming,wheretheyarereadytoinvestinaplotanddofarmingasagroup.Itseems,self-sufficiencyinfoodmightnotbeanimpossibledreamtorealise.Foodforthought!Many farmers are now thinking of the next step toencouragemoreresidentstoromancethegoodearth

BangaloreIndiaBioinFebruaryBangalore IndiaBio, an annual biotechnology event,will be heldfromFebruary9-11in2015.Itwillfocusonagri-biotech,renewableenergyandenvironmentsustainabilityandregenerativemedicine,amongotherthings.Germany,Netherlands,Belgium,SouthKorea,Taiwan,Malaysia,FranceandAustraliaareamongtheover20countriesexpectedtoparticipateinthe15thedition.The event is being promoted by the StateDepartment of IT, BTandScienceandTechnologyandVisionGrouponBiotechnology.S.R. Patil, Minister for IT, BT and S&T, Planning and Statistics,said:“Karnatakaoffershugepotentialforthebiotechsector.The government’s focus is to leverage biotechnology to solvevariousissuesofthepeople.Thefocusofthisyear'seventisagri-biotech.”TheMinistersaidthattheStategovernmenthasprovidedgrantstothe University of Agriculture, Dharwad and the University ofHorticulture Science, Bagalkot, for research in the agri-biotechsector.

Communityforeststabil iseswatertableThe community forest developed in a cluster of 11 villages inKundrandarkovilhashelpedinstabilisingwatertableintheareaaswellasintheperiphery,saidvillagersinthearea.An interactive session was held in which representatives ofBuilding Ecological Recyling Agriculture and Societies (BERAS)International, Sweden, and office-bearers of ‘Kudumbam,’ aserviceorganisationwhichdevelopedthecommunityforestatthevillagerecentlyforascertainingtheadvantagesoftheforest, tookpart.AtAmmankorai, thevillagersspecifically referred to the impactofthe community forest on groundwater table in their village. Theysaid that the water table, which had depleted seriously, had gotstabilisedbyabout10to15feet.OswaldQuintal,DirectorofKudumbam,saidthatcommunityforestwas developed on 400 acres of temple lands in these villages.Jostein,ChiefExecutiveOfficerofBERASInternational,spokeonthe importance of ecological recycling agriculture practices to befollowedbyfarmersandconsumers.Hecalleduponfarmerstosetupsustainablefoodsocieties.Farmers unhappy with paddy procurementrateWithpromisingsignsofwateravailability forpaddycrop inEroderegion,productivitymaynotbeanissue,buttheprocurementcostisfarbelowexpectationsoftheagriculturalcommunity.According to farmers here, the cost of cultivation has gone updrasticallyover theyearsduetoescalatingexpenditureon inputsandlabour.Onanaverage,thecostofcultivationrangesfromRs.25,000toRs.30,000peracre.

Thereturnsarealsointhesamerange,sincetheprocurement isintherangeofRs.1,000toRs.1,200perbag.According to K.V. Ponnaiyan, the State Government ought toconsidertheplightoffarmersandeffectariseintheprocurementprice.Paddy cultivators say procurement at Rs. 1,500 per bag will bereasonablyremunerativefortheagriculturalcommunity.TheStateGovernment says Ramasamy, a paddy cultivator, must factor inthe reality of several thousandsof farmers in rain-fed areaswhoincurhigherexpenditureoncountsofwatermanagement.Farmers in rain-fedareas spendmuchmoredue to theneed formaintainingthewatercanalsallthroughtheyear.Theunanimousviewofthefarmingcommunityisthatthepolicyofcalculatingthecostfromthetimeofsowingtoharvestisflawed.And, though the Tamil NaduCivil SuppliesCorporation procurestheproducethroughitsDirectProcurementCentres,farmersalsofindthemselvesconstrainedtoselltheirpaddytoprivateprocurersatthetimeofharvest.Farmersalsosufferalotduetopilferageasmost of the Direct Procurement Centres do not have electronicweighingmachines,lamentedanotherfarmer.According to Mr. Ponnaiyan, it was time the State GovernmentadoptedtherecommendationofDr.M.S.SwaminathanCommitteefor determining the cost of agricultural produce at 50 per centhigherthantheproductioncost.AgricultureMinistertakesonCentreIwonderiftheCentreisneglectingKarnataka,saysKrishnaByreGowdaKarnataka is upset that the Centre was yet to respond to itsrequest for providing flood relief assistance even a month aftersubmittingamemorandum.

“Letalone floodrelief, theCentre isyet tosend its teamtostudythesituationintheState,”MinisterofStateforAgricultureKrishnaByre Gowda told reporters, on the sidelines of a programmeorganised tomark the foundationdayofUniversityofAgriculturalSciences-BangalorehereonWednesday.“I wonder if the Centre is neglecting Karnataka?,” the Ministerremarked,whileexpressinganguishoverthedelayinreleasingtheaid.Pointingout that theStatehadsoughtRs.266crore, hesaidallguidelines prescribed by the Centre had been taken intoconsiderationwhilearrivingatthisfigure.“Even though the Centre has not responded to the flood reliefrequest, we have decided to finalise the memorandum seekingCentral assistance for taking up drought-relief works in about aweek,”theMinistersaid.Thememorandumwould be submitted to theCentre afterChiefMinister Siddaramaiah clears it. He said the districts of Kolar,Chickballapur, Bangalore Rural and parts of Tumkur andRamanagaram were seriously affected by drought for the fourthconsecutiveyear.Astherewasapossibilityofthesedistrictsfacingfoddershortage,the State government had instructed the Deputy Commissionersconcerned to procure adequate quantum of fodder besidesencouragingfarmersthemselvestogrowfoddercrops.Thewatershedworkswould be taken up in these districts undertheKrishiBhagyascheme,whichwouldbeimplementedfromthenextmonthintheState,hesaid.

KrishiMelafromOctober18TheUniversity ofAgricultural andHorticulturalSciences (UAHS),Shimoga,hasorganised the three-dayKrishiMelaon itscampusherefromOctober18,itsVice-ChancellorC.Vasudevappasaid.The Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Sericulture, AnimalHusbandry and Water Resource would also participate in it tohighlight various schemes launched by them for the welfare offarmers, Mr. Vasudevappa said at a press conference here onMonday.The emphasis would be on popularising mechanisation ofagricultural operations in this edition of Krishi Mela. The UAHS,Shimoga, had received Rs. 1 crore as a special grant from theIndian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) to develop low-costfarmequipment.With this grant, the zonal agriculture and horticultural researchstations of UAHS, Shimoga at Hiriyur and Brahmavar haddevelopedmanydevicesthatcouldbeusedfortheroutinechoreslikesowing,weedremovalandsprayingofpesticides.Theseequipmentwouldbedisplayedattheexhibition.Aseparatepavilionwouldbesetupforstallsrelatedtoagriculturalequipment,he said. Farmers from Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Hassan,Davangere, Kodagu, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts thatcomeunder the jurisdictionofUAHS,Shimoga,wouldattend theevent.Thearecanut,millets,nativevarietiesofpaddyandtobaccowerecultivateon theUAHS,Shimogapremisesbyadopting innovativefarmingpractices.ChiefMinisterSiddaramaiahwill inauguratethemelaonOctober19.Emphasis wil l be on popularising mechanisation ofagriculturaloperations

Tobacco Board’s charter in confl ict withcountry’shealthgoals:HarshVardhan‘Devise scheme that encourages farmers to stop cultivatingtobacco’Contending that thecharterof theTobaccoBoardwas inconflictwiththecountry’spublichealthgoals,UnionHealthMinisterHarshVardhan has sought a joint meeting of officials of the UnionMinistries of Agriculture, and Commerce and Health to devise aschemethatencouragesfarmerstostopcultivatingtobacco.TheTobaccoBoard,throughitsprogrammes,seekstobringaboutoverall development of tobacco growers and the Indian tobaccoindustry.In a letter, dated October 1, addressed to the UnionMinister ofState (Independent charge) Commerce and Industry NirmalaSitharaman, Dr. Vardhan said that the officials could meet onOctober 29 for a brainstorming-cum-consultation session withexperts on the issue of encouraging tobacco farmers to take upalternativecrops.Dr.VardhanalsopointedoutthattheGovernmentofIndia,whichhad ratified the WHO’s Framework Convention on TobaccoControl (FCTC), was committed to implement strategies foreffectivetobaccocontrol.“However,thecharterofTobaccoBoard,which is directly under the control of your Ministry, comes inconflictwithsomeoftheprovisionsofFCTC,”Dr.Vardhansaidinthe letter to Ms. Sitharaman. Also, various expert groups haverecommendedeconomicallyviablealternativecropsasoptionsfordifferentregions.The letter comes even as the Tobacco Board chairperson K.Gopal,inarecentstatement,saidIndiahadexportedtobaccoandtobacco products worth Rs. 6,092.86 crore during 2013-14,surpassingtheearlierrecord.

Onemil l iondeathsHowever, Dr. Vardhan, in his letter, pointed out that tobaccoconsumptionwasresponsibleforatleastonemilliondeathseveryyear in India. “If effective steps are not taken, tobacco-relatedannualdeathtollmayriseto8millionby2030,”hewarned.CitingthefindingsoftheglobalAdultTobaccoSurvey2010,Dr.Vardhansaid that35per centofadults in Indiawereconsuming tobacco.Andasperthe2008–09figures,morethan85percentoftobaccocultivationinIndiawasinAndhraPradesh,GujaratandKarnataka.Meanwhile,VoiceofTobaccoVictims (VoTV), an initiativeaimedat sensitising policymakers about the dangers of excessivetobacco usage, said the mission of the Tobacco Board was inconflictwith thegoalsofpublichealth.Themissionneededtobechangedtoreducingtobaccoproductionandredeployingtobaccofarmers,VishalRao,anoncologistassociatedwithVoTV,said.

BrieflyALL-INDIAFARMERS’WORKSHOPTheAll-IndiaFarmers’EmpoweringWorkshopwill beheldat theIFFTC auditorium in CSIR-CFTRI here on October 17 at 4 p.m.Minister of State for Agriculture Krishna Byre Gowda willinaugurate the workshop. Chamarajnagar MP R. DhruvanarayanwillreleasesouvenirandMysoreMPPratapSimhawillreleasetheworkshoplogo.CFTRIDirectorRamRajashekaranwillpreside.—SpecialCorrespondent.

Severalnewschemesforf isheriessectorNational Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) is implementingvarious production oriented schemes for enhancement of fishproductionandproductivity.To increase fish production and productivity in reservoirs, amassivefishseedstockingprogrammewastakenupin21.15lakhhectaresofwaterspreadareain21States.

Consideringtheneedforpromotionofhygienicmarkets,theboardisfocusingondevelopinghygienicmarketsacrossthecountry.Forpromotionof fishmarketingandconsumption,modernisationandconstructionof252fishmarketsweretakenup.Addressingweakl inksNFDBisaddressingtheseriousweaklinksinthesupplychainbyproviding fishermen with 1214 mobile fish vending vehicles withice-boxesso that theycanearnmoreby reachingmarkets fasterandthefisharealsodeliveredinbettercondition.Tomeet the quality standards stipulated by theEuropeanUnionand other importing countries, assistance was extended formodernisationof21fishingharboursand31fishlandingcentres.Considering thescopefordevelopmentofornamental fisheries inIndia by involving rural beneficiaries, especially women self-helpgroups, NFDB has launched initiatives by implementing differentschemes.Several families and women self-help groups are earning alivelihood through ornamental fish culture. NFDB has launchedschemes for setting up of ornamental units such as backyardhatcheries, medium scale ornamental fish breeding units,integratedornamentalfishbreedingunitsandaquariumfabricationunitswith50percentsubsidy.FourmodelsThe board has established four model fish dressing centres, 30solar fish drying units and platforms and has provided solaroperated deep freezers to fisherwomen to ensure hygienic andbetterqualityfishismadeavailabletoconsumers.

Trainingtofishermenonhygienichandlingoffish,solarfishdryingandvalueaddition isbeing imparted.Thesepro-activemeasuresaimbringasignificant improvement inhandling,preservationandmarketingoffishinadditiontoincreaseinproduction.Dr.M.V.Rao, IAS, is Chief Executive, National FisheriesDevelopment Board, Department of Animal Husbandry, DairyingandFisheries,MinistryofAgriculture,Rajendranagar,Hyderabad-500 052, phone :040 2401553, Mobile:97034 40004, email:mvraoforindia@gmail.com,website:nfdb.gov.in

UniformevaluationpatternforKAUcoursesTheAcademicCouncilof theKeralaAgriculturalUniversity(KAU)has decided to have a uniform evaluation pattern for finalexaminations of postgraduate and Ph.D. courses in differentcollegesunderthefacultiesofAgricultureandForestry.The123rdmeetingofthecouncilhereonWednesday,chairedbyVice-ChancellorP.Rajendran,unanimouslyclearedaproposalforthis.The Vice-Chancellor said that research conducted as part ofpostgraduate and Ph.D. programmes should aim at technologygeneration.ThecouncilauthorisedtheDirectorsofResearchandExtension to identify centres for offering diploma courses inagriculturalsciences.Thecourseswillberunonacost-sharingbasis.Thecouncilalsodecided to create a database of abstracts of research projectsundertaken in the university. The database would help newresearchscholars,observedthecouncil.The council turned downa request of a private educational trustseeking No Objection Certificate for starting undergraduatecourses in agriculture, agricultural engineering and foodengineeringintheself-financingmode.

The council, after prolonged discussion, concluded that theKAUAct and Statutes did not permit such affiliated colleges. Thecouncil cleared a proposal to recognise postgraduate degreesawardedbytheCentralUniversityofKerala.InregardtoKAUrecognisingdegreesawardedbytheAnnamalaiUniversity,thecouncilconstitutedacommitteetostudytheissue.The committee included the Dean (Agriculture), Director ofResearch,DirectorofExtension,Registrar,Director (Academics),JacobJohn,ThomasGeorgeandE.K.Kurien.E.V.Nybe,Director (Academics)said thecouncilalsodecided toadoptaFreeandOpenSourceSoftwareforacademicactivities.AproposaltoincorporateahologramintheKAUdegreecertificatewasalsoapproved.Themeetingwasattendedbyelectedrepresentativesofteachers;nominatedmembers;P.V.Balachandran,Registrar;SwarupJohn,Dean (Agriculture); and Siva Swamy, Dean (AgriculturalEngineering).

Perambalur emerging as a hub of poultryfarming

Broiler chicken farm at Ogalur in Perambalur district.— PHOTO:R.M.RAJARATHINAM

PerambalurdistrictismakingrapidstridesinpoultryfarmingandisemergingasaclosesecondtoNamakkal.Undertheschemefordevelopmentofpoultryclusters inthenon-poultrybackwardregionsoftheStateannouncedinthebudgetfor2012-13,thereare128poultryunitsinthedistrictandmanymoreareinthemaking.TheGovernmentannounced163unitsfor2012-13inPerambalurdistrict,100for2013-14and100for20014-15.Ofthe163unitsfor2012-13,118arefunctioningandothersareintheprocessofdevelopment.For2013-14,100units is thetarget,outofwhichtenhavebeenestablished.A. Muthaiah, a small farmer of Kazhanivasal village in Veppurblock inPerambalurdistrictandabeneficiaryof thescheme,hasreared seven batches of chicks with nearly 4,000 chicks in onebatch. Chicks delivered to him grow into broiler chicken of 2 kgweightin38to42days.“IsoldchickenforRs.52,165inonebatchandgotaprofitofRs.15,000abatch.NowIamrearingtheeighthbatchofchickswhicharenow19daysold,”hesaidshowing thechicksinhispoultryfarmonWednesday.AnbuselvanofOgalurisyet another farmer who has benefitted out of the poultry clusterschemeannouncedbythegovernment.He is rearing thesixthbatchofchicksgiven tohim.HehassoldchickenforRs.53,171perbatch.Likethesetwofarmerstherearemanywhobenefittedoutofthescheme.AsumofRs.8,25,000isspentforestablishingapoultryunit.Out of this amount, Rs. 4,12,500 is the subsidy from State anduniongovernmentsandthebeneficiaryhastopayamarginof10percentoftheprojectcost.IndianOverseasBankandotherbankshave given loans to farmers for the rest of the amount. Besidesthese, beneficiaries get back end subsidy from Poultry VentureCapital Fund of National Bank for Agriculture and RuralDevelopment(NABARD).

DarezAhamed,DistrictCollector,whosemotivationbroughtmanyfarmers to poultry farming, said that many farmers had showninterestinestablishingpoultryfarms.M. Chandrasekaran, Joint Director, Animal Husbandry, and K.Thangarajan, Deputy Director, said broiler chicken rearing wasundertaken in the district through integrationwherein, integratorssupplydayoldchicksandfeedrequiredforbirds.ShanthiFeedsLtd,SwamiFeedsLtd,andSugunaFeedsLtd.,aretheintegratorsforPerambalurdistrict.Theintegratorsensurethatthebirdsaremarketed through their ownchannels.Beneficiariesareselectedbyintegrators,bankers,andgovernmentofficials.Broilerchickenrearingisundertakenthroughintegration

Nuttywaytohealth–andwealth!

ValuablecommodityWalnutsgetawashinafarminLaishuitownin China. (Below) A vernier caliper being used to measurewalnuts. Nowadays, consumers in search of hand massagesvaluethemmorehighlythangold.PHOTO:AFP

With the humble walnut becoming a key player in health foodmarketinChina,pricesshootup,bringingcheeramongfarmersGrinning with pride, a Chinese farmer held out two preciouswalnuts — globes so precisely symmetrical that consumers insearchofhandmassagesvaluethemmorehighlythangold.“Priceshaveskyrocketed,”saidLiZhanhua,standingintheshadeof the leafy green walnut trees which have made him a smallfortune.“Yearsago,wecouldneverhaveimaginedthis.”Rollingapairofwalnutsbetweenpalmandfingers—believedtoimprovecirculation—hasbeenaChinesepastimeforhundredsofyears.“Mainlythewalnutsaregoodforthebody,that’swhypeopleplaywiththem,”Lisaid.GoingnutsWalnutswereusedas toys inChina’s imperialcourtsasearlyas220AD,butwerechampionedbyofficialsduringtheQingDynasty(1644-1912) and have been a status symbol exchanged amongthecountry’seliteeversince.

Demand has grown alongside China’s economic boom, andvendorssaytheyareespeciallypopularamongthenewlywealthyandgangstersprofitingfromBeijing’sgreyeconomy.Years of rising prices have transformed the lives of farmers inLaishuicounty,afewhoursfromthecapital.Just a decade ago, Li and his neighbours ploughed a hard-scrabbleexistencegrowingwheatandcorn,butnowtakeregularholidaysfromtheirmountainsidevillageandownimportedcarsaswellasapartmentsinanearbycity.Images of the humblewalnut are everywhere in Laishui, shiningdown from shop fronts, huge banners lining the streets, andnaturally,printedonbusinesscards.Collectorsarenot interestedintheediblekernel,butinsteadvalueitsridgedbrownshell,whichgrowsconcealedbeneathagreenhusk.SkindeepWith prices appreciating long term, investors facing low interestratesonbankdepositshaveturnedtowalnutsasastoreofvalue,accordingtoChinesereports,andspeculatingonunpeeledwalnutfruithasbecomeaformofgambling,whichisgenerallybannedinmainlandChina.In apractice called “bettingon skin” buyerspaya fixedprice forthe nuts before their green outer covering has been removed,hopingthatwhatisinsidewillbeworthmorethantheyshelledout.WalnutshavebeensoldforgenerationsinBeijing’sShilihemarket,wherestallsalsoofferspecialisedwalnutoilandbrushes.Dozens of mostly middle-aged men crouched smoking andcommentingonlinesoffruitsetoutonblackcloth.

After prodding and measuring a series of specimens, and aprolongeddebate,BeijingerMiaoYaoge rolledout2,000yuan incrisp red notes, before watching as the vendor cut open hischosenpairwithakitchenknife.“Look, thehusk is thin,” thesellerexclaimed,suggestinga largernutandpromptingaflickerofasmilefromMiao,45.As they were given a final buffing, Miao — who reckoned theywerewortharound2,500yuan,givinghimaprofiton thedeal—said:“ThisisChineseculture.I’mhappywithmywalnuts.”AFP

‘Thereisnosuitablealternativecrop’Tobacco farmers in Karnataka have not taken kindly to UnionHealth Minister Harsh Vardhan’s initiative to encourage tobaccofarmerstocultivatealternativecrops.President of Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) Tobacco Growers’Federation of Karnataka Javare Gowda said there was noalternative crop that was suitable to be grown in the soil andclimaticconditionsinthetobacco-cultivatingbeltinMysoreregion.TheCentralTobaccoResearchInstitute’s(CTRI)ResearchStationinHunsur had carriedout a study in the regardand submittedareport to the Tobacco Board that there was no alternative cropsuitabletobegrownintherain-fedareas,wheretobaccoisgrown,hesaid.

SugarcaneandJanakiAmmalTheIndianNationalScienceAcademy(INSA)arrangedaseminarlastweekonthehistoryofscienceinIndia,withparticularfocusonthe last100years.Amongthevarious topics,work in theareaofgenetics during the early years of the 20{+t}{+h}century waspresented by Dr. Durgadas Kasbekar of the Centre for DNAFingerprintingandDiagnostics,Hyderabad.

In a gripping and highly informative half an hour, he presentedthree advances made in India, namely the success story ofsugarcanebreeding,thediscoveryoftheBombayBloodType(the“O” subgroup) and the mathematical analysis of the mapping ofgenesdistributedacrossthelengthofthechromosome.Ofthese,thestoryofsugarcanebreedingandgeneratingnewvarietieswasparticularly gripping not only for its glorious success but alsobecauseithighlightedthededicatedworkofaladyscientistnamedEdavalethKakkatJanakiAmmal.Andthisstoryisworthretelling.Dr.K.T.Achayahaswritteninhisauthoritativebook,“IndianFood:A Historical Companion” (OUP 1994) that while sugarcane waswell knownandgrown in Indiasince theRigvedic times (c.1500BC),asIkshu,andKautilya(c.300BC)mentionsawholerangeofproducts fromsugarcane,ourcaneswerenotassweetas thosefromtheFarEast.Theyhadhoweverrobuststalks.Achayainhisother book: “A historical dictionary of Indian food” (OUP 1998)states that the Tamil bookAgananurumentions that when cartsgot stuck in themud, stalks of sugarcanewere heaped beneaththewheeltoprovideagrip!Suchhasbeentherobustnessofoursugarcane.The sweetest sugarcane comes from Papua New Guinea, andtermedSaccharum officianarum.Also called ‘noble’ cane, itmigratednorthwest toAsia.Duringtheearly1900s,Indiaactuallyimported this sweet sugar from Java and the Far East. Thefreedom fighter and scholar Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya hadsuggested inthe1910sthatweinIndiashoulddobotanicalworktosweetenourownvarieties (calledS.spontaneum).This led tothestartoftheSugarcaneBreedingStationatCoimbatore,MadrasPresidency, led by C. A. Barber, which took on the task ofimproving the Indiansugarcaneplants.HeandhisassistantT.S.Venkataramanbegancrossingthe‘noble’S.OfficianarumfemaleswithS.Spontaneummales.

As Kasbekar explains, when the pollen ofspontaneumfertilizedeggs ofofficianarum, the products retained the full chromosomecomplementofofficianarum,generatingahybridsugarcaneplantas sweet asofficianarumand with robust stalks asinspontaneum.Back-crossingof thehybridmalewithofficianarumwaseven more successful. Success was thus achieved inproducingsweetervarietiesofIndiansugarcane.TheseCoimbatorebreeds(Co-canes)weresosuccessful that inthefirstyearitselftheyincreasedsugarcaneproductioninPunjabby 50 per cent, and were even exported to places like Cuba.Between 1930 and 1935, this work of Venkataraman led to adoublingofsugarcaneproductioninthecountry.Itwasduring this time that theyounggirl fromTellichery,Kerala,Janaki Ammal (b. Nov 4, 1897) movedto do her BSc and BScHonours from Queen Mary’s and Presidency Colleges, Madras.Withascholarship,shemovedtotheUniversityofMichigan,U.S.togetherMSin1925.Shecameback,gotherDScin1931andjoinedtheSugarcaneBreedingStationatCoimbatoretoworkwithVenkataramanonsugarcanebiology.She was an expert in cytogenetics (the genetic content andexpressionofgenesinthecell).Shehadknownthatplantsdisplaypolyploidy(collectionofnotjusttwopairsofchromosomesineachcell,asourbodycellsdo,butmanymultiplesof2,e.g.,2n=48,56, 64, 72 and even 112). Her research in this area led to ourunderstandingof thenatureofpolyploidy insugarcane, formingafirm scientific basis for crossing and hybrids, but also helped inchoosingplantvarietiesforcross-breeding.Italsohelpedanalyse thegeographicaldistributionofsugarcaneacross India, and to establish thatS. Spontaneumis sugarcanethatoriginatedinIndia.SheleftCoimbatoretojointheJohnInnesInstituteatLondonandthen the Royal Horticulture Society at Wisley, during the years

1945-51. A summary of the life and times of Janaki Ammal hasbeen written by the famous scholar in plant pathology andevolution, Professor Chiryathumadom VenkatachalierSubramanian of Chennai (www.ias.ac.in/womeninscience/Janaki.pdf).HewritesthatNehruinvitedJanakiAmmaltoreturn and reorganize the Botanical Survey of India. She camebackandrantheBotanicalSurveyofIndia.Evenearlier thanNehru,ProfessorC.V.Ramansawthespark inher and made her a Foundation Fellow of the Academy. Yearslater,in1957,shewaselectedtoINSA—thefirstwomanscientistelected to any of the science academies in India. She was alsoawarded the Padma Shri in 1957. Having led a full life, shebreathedher lastonFebruary4,1984.Thinkabout it;every timeyoubiteasugarcane,oralumpofgudorvellam,youareenjoyingthefruitsoftoilofBarber,VenkataramanandJanaki.

Genetichistoryoftomatoesrevealed

K.PichumaniThe sequencing of 360 tomato varieties has yielded a ‘genetichistory’ of tomato.An important finding is that specific regionsofthegenomewereunintentionallydepletedingeneticvariation.

18tonnesofadulteratedpepperseizedinChennai

The food safety department on Wednesday seized 18tonnesofadulteratedpeppercoatedwithcancer-causingmineraloils.CHENNAI:The foodsafetydepartmentonWednesdayseized18tonnesofadulteratedpepper coatedwith cancer-causingmineraloils such as liquid paraffin and burnt diesel oil in Broadway.AteamofofficialsraidedthegodownofawholesaleronVaradhaMuthaiappan Street and seized adulterated pepper worth 1.50crore and 400 litres of mineral oil. "We sealed the godown ofVenkateswara Traders and took samples for checks. Theadulterated pepper will be destroyed with the consent of SpicesBoardofIndia,"saidanofficial.

Thedepartmentreceivedatipabouttheillegaltradefromaretailerin OldWashermenpet. "We seized adulterated pepper from himandtracedtheoriginoftheillegaltradeafterenquires,"theofficialsaid adding that more raids would be initiated in the next fewdays."Themineraloilwasusedasafungicideandpolishingagent.Wehadseizeditforthefirsttimeeventhoughthepracticehadbeeninplace for long.Theuseofanymineraloil inpepper isprohibitedaccording to thePreventionofFoodAdulterationAct," theofficialsaid.Sources saymineral oils are used to givemoreweight anddarkblackcolour topepper. "It isoneof themethods topreserve thespice. But black pepper coated with mineral oil gives out akerosenelikesmell,"saidatrader.Experts say pepper coated with mineral oil is consideredcarcinogenic.Santhana Rajan of the Consumer Association of India said fewcustomerscheckedspices. "Adulteratedpepperwillhaveashinylookduetoadditionofmineraloilsbutitcaneasilybeidentifiedbythecolour."Hesaidtradersengagedinthemalpracticeswerenotawareofthehealthrisks."Noawarenesscampaignsareconductedtosensitisethem."

Monsoon round the corner as wind changesdirectionCHENNAI: The northeast monsoon is somewhere round thecorner, but theweatherman can't yet tellwhen itwould be here.Asthefirstsignof themonsoon, thewinddirectionhaschanged.Till Tuesday, wind was blowing from west to east. FromWednesdaymorning, it has been blowing from east— from theAndaman Islands toTamilNadu. "This is a signof themonsooncoming in.But for it to set in, other factors likemoisture contentand convergence of air have to fall in place," said S Thampi,deputydirectorgeneralof IndiaMeteorologicalDepartment."WithHudhud moving away, conditions have become more conduciveforrain,"headded.Thenortheastmonsoonusuallysets inaroundOctober15,but ithas been delayed because of cyclone Hudhud. "Hudhud has tocompletely nullify before the monsoon sets in. Since the windshave changed direction, it will do so in the next few days," saidThampi. Several parts of Chennai received rain onWednesday.WhilecentralpartslikeNungambakkamreceiveddrizzles,westernsuburbslikeAvadiandAmbatturreceivedheavyshowersearlyinthemorning.Wednesday's rain will be accounted for the final statistics of themonsoon season. "The Met department does not call thismonsoonrain,butittakesintoaccountallrainfromOctober1onits database. This period is ambiguous," said Pradeep John, aweatherblogger.Theeasterliesarenowblowingataspeedofaround20kmph(10knots).When themonsoon sets in, it would be around 40kmph."Thewindsarealmost inastraight line fromtheAndamans.And

theyareblowingupto2kmfromthesurface.Thisistypicalofdaysbeforethemonsoonsetsin,"saidJohn.ThenortheastmonsoonisChennai's largestsourceofrainwater.Of the140cmof rain the city receivesannually, 87cm is throughthe northeastmonsoon. Of this 87cm, November receives 40cmoverjust12days.

WEATHERChennai,IndiaTodaystemperature

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BetterdaysaheadforcoffeegrowersAs Brazil is headed for a lower crop, bean prices arel ikelytomoveupfurtherin2015

Good days are ahead forcoffeegrowers and traders as beanprices are likely to increase on the back of lower production inBrazil, a major producing country.

“Going by the indications of International Coffee Organization(ICO), which has projected a lower crop in 2014-15, weexpectArabicaprices to go up 15-20 per cent by February orMarch next year,” said Ramesh Rajah, president, CoffeeExporters’Association.TheAssociationexpectsArabicapricesto touch250centsper lb(pound),anincreaseof19percentfromthecurrentlevelsof210cents per lb. Robusta prices are likely to touch $2,300 a tonne,about15percenthigheroverthecurrentlevels,bythefirstquarterof2015,Rajahadded.Robusta prices might not increase much, compared to Arabica.However,itistooearlytomakeaguessastheconditioninBrazil,theleadingproducer,keepschanging.Recentrainsinthatcountryhas given hope for a better than estimated crop next year, henoted.Prices were volatile again in September, mostly reacting toweathernewsfromBrazil.Dailypricesfellinitiallybutrosetowardstheendof themonthas reportsofdryness inBrazilexacerbatedconcernsovernextyear’scrop,ICOsaid.Anewsurvey fromConab, theBraziliancrop forecastingagency,gavearevisedproductionestimateof45.14millionbags forcropyear2014-15(April toMarch),around570,000bags(eachbagis60kg)higherthanthepreviousestimate.Thisnewestimateleavesproduction inBrazil in 2014-15 at its lowest level since 2011-12,withmountingconcernsoverthe2015-16crop.Cropyear2013-14hasendedinallexportingcountries,withtotalproduction estimated at 145.2 million bags, unchanged on theprevious year. World consumption was also around 145 millionbags in calendar year 2013, leaving the market reasonablybalanced, but lower production expected in 2014-15 will likelyresultinaglobaldeficitnextyear,ICOsaid.

TheICOcompositeindicatorpriceaveraged161.79UScentsperlb inSeptember,0.8per cent less than that inAugust.Thedailypricefellfromahighof176.44toalowof153.64inthemiddleofthe month, before climbing back to finish on 164.37 cents, asincreased reports of dryness in Brazil renewed speculation overproductioninthenextyear.“WeexpectICOcompositeindicatortomoveintherangeof180-190centsperlbbyfirstquarterof2015,”saidRajah.A slight recovery is expected in parts ofCentral Americaduringcropyear2014-15,asthedamagefromcoffeeleafrustisstartingtosubside.Nevertheless,thesocialandeconomicdamagetotheregion is ongoing and should not be underestimated.ThelowervolumeofexportsrecordedfromIndonesiasuggestthatproduction in crop year 2014-15 (April to March) could besignificantlyreduced,theICOsaid.

Rubber output slides as prices slump, even asimportssurge

A fall in monthlyrubberoutput since June is causing concern toobservers. Production in September fell 25 per cent to 60,000tonnes,compared to80,000 tonnes in thesamemonth lastyear.Total stock at September-end was 200,000 tonnes, against223,000tonnesearlier.

Experts say thenegativeoutput trend indicatesashift inattitudefromgrowers,owingtoacontinuouslyslidingprice,ThelocalpriceisRs120akg,a levelatwhichamajorityof small andmediumfarmers have stopped tapping rubber trees, as this isn't viableenoughtonursetheplantations.

“This is a serious situation,” says N Radhakrishnan, formerpresident,CochinRubberMerchantsAssociation.Sinceindustrieshave touse rubber, itwouldmeana further rise in imports. “ThepriceshouldbeatleastRs170/kg.Onlythencanwecontinuewithtapping,” says Binu John, a Kottayam-based grower.Hesaidthehighcostoflabourisaseriousissue.And,withthefallin prices, aging trees are not being replacedwith fresh plants inrecentyears.

TheRubber Boardsays consumption in September was 85,500tonnes, compared to 80,550 tonnes in the same month of lastweek.Withproductiondippingandconsumptionrising, thegap isbeing met through imports -- prices are even lower in globalmarketsthanhere.

DuringApril–September,thefirstsixmonthsofthecurrentfinancialyear,225,652tonneswerebroughtinasagainst181,700tonnesinthesameperiodof2013-14,ariseof24percent.Moreimport islikely.TheSMRgradeisavailableatRs88/kgabroad,againstRs120/kginIndia.So,evenafterpayinga20percentimportduty,itis still much cheaper than buying at home, a further loss ofmarketsforhomegrowers.

With 98% cashew apple going waste,traderslookforalternativeuseMangalore, October 15: The Karnataka CashewManufacturers’Association(KCMA)hassaidthatitisreadyacceptthechallengeposedby thePrimeMinisterNarendraModion thebetterutilisationofcashewapple.IthasrequestedthePrimeMinistertoconstituteataskforcewithmembers from industry and research bodies to find viablealternativesonutilisationofcashewapples.Ina lettertothePrimeMinister,BolaRahulKamath,PresidentofKCMA, said that the association would like to take up thechallengeposedbythePrimeMinisterontheproperutilisationofcashew apple on public-private partnership model during hisrecentvisittoTumkur.“We are buying raw cashewnuts from farmers, and are ready tobuyevencashewapplesfromthemandput themtoproperuse,”hesaid.Out of the 40 lakh tonnes of cashew apples produced in thecountry,98percent iswasted.StatingthatGoaallowsdistillationto make cashew fenny, he said the laws in other States do notallowsuchdistillation.The production of juice from cashew apples opens up a lot oflogistical challenges, he said, and expressed doubts about theviability of projects suchasproductionof bio-diesel fromcashewapple.

Kamath suggested that a task force be appointed withrepresentativesfromindustryandresearchinstitutestoidentifytheviable alternatives on utilisation of cashew apples. Properutilisation of cashew apples will have many benefits, as it willincrease income of farmers and make cashew cultivation moreviable.The increase in rawcashewproductionwillhelpcashew industrytoexpandandgeneratemorejobsinruralIndia,hesaid.KCMAisreadytotakethetasksassignedtoitinthisrespect,headded.To get over copra import ban, solventextractorsshipincoconutoi l cakeKochi, October 15:SolventextractionunitshavefoundawayouttoovercomethebanimposedbytheCentreoncopraimports.TheyarenowimportingcoconutoilcakefromthePhilippinesandIndonesiaandextractingoilfromit.ThissolventextractedcoconutoilhasbeguntoeatintococonutoildemandinKeralaandTamilNadu.Deodorisedcoconutoilisproducedbytheextractionunitsanditisavailableinthemarketalongwithcoconutoilextractedfromcopra.Thishasbegunaffectingsalesofcoconutoilextractedfromcopra,said Thalath Mahmood, Director, Cochin Oil MerchantsAssociationsaid.Thisnew trendcoupledwith lowcopraarrivalsandabsenceofastronglocalaswellasupcountrydemandhasallcontributedforafall in prices this week. Coconut oil is now rulingatRs.15,000/quintal in Kerala, while it quoted atRs.14,500 inTamilNadu.Copra prices alsowere downatRs.10,400 inKerala,while theyruledatRs.9,800inTamilNadu.

Our Erode correspondent reports:Coconut oil prices plummetedastherewastotallackofbuyersinErode.“Coconutoilpriceshadincreased to a record; but now they have dropped toRs.2,130-2,150 for a 15-kg pack in loose form. This is aboutRs.80-100lowerthanlastweek,”saidRMPalanisamy,anoiltrader.HesaidbuyersinNorthIndiaandotherplaces,expectingafurtherdropbytheweek-end,didnotplaceanyorders.EvenmillersinKeralawhobuycoconutoilfromTamilNaduaren’tplacinganyorders.ButoilcrushersarestillhopefulofanincreaseinpricepostDiwali.Copra prices have also dropped sharply.OnWednesday, it soldatRs.10,200-10,300aquintalandarrivalofcopra increased.Butsaleswereverypoor.Meanwhile,thesaleofotheroilshasincreased.SunfloweroilwassoldatRs.6,400whilethepalmoilwassoldatRs.5,700-5,900aquintal.

WTO rules against India’s curbs on USchickenimportsPoultry sector wants Centre to challenge the ruling before theappellatebodyNewDelhi/Bangalore,October15:India’simportrestrictionson chicken legs and some other farm products from the US onfearsthat“low-intensity”birdflucanaffectpublichealtharenotinlinewithmultilateraltraderules,aWorldTradeOrganisationpanelhasruled.ThismeansNewDelhiwillnownotbeableimposerestrictionsonimportsoffarmproducts,includingpoultryproducts,fromcountriesreporting low-intensity bird flu on health grounds which would inturn open the Indianmarket to low-priced chicken legs from theUS.

The US had dragged India to the WTO on the issue in 2012claimingthattherestrictionswerebasedon“unscientific”reasons,whichthedisputesettlementpanelhasupheld.India will now examine if it would challenge the verdict in theAppellate Body, the highest decision making body of the WTO.“We can definitely appeal before the Appellate Body. But in thiscase it is the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying andFisheriesthatwillhavetotakeacallasitwastheirnotificationthatwasunderchallenge.Wewillconsultthem,”aCommerceMinistryofficialtoldBusinessLine.TheUS had argued that the ban imposed by India on import ofpoultry products from countries’ reporting outbreaks of lowpathogenicnotifiableavian influenzahasnobasis inscienceandwasalsonotsupportedbyWorldOrganisationforAnimalHealth.Although India keeps lifting its ban on import of poultry productsfrom the US when the country reports that it is free of avianinfluenza,itimmediatelyre-imposesitifthereisreportofoutbreakinanypartof thecountry.Becauseof theuncertainty,USpoultryexportershavenotbeenabletoexportmuchtoIndia.Therulinghasleftthedomesticpoultrysectorworried.ItwantstheCentre to go to the WTO Appellate Body in appeal against therulingasitisjitteryovertheprospectsofcheaperUSchickenlegsgettingdumpedintheIndianmarket.“We want the Government to appeal against this order,” said GRanjitReddy,PresidentoftheHyderabad-basedPoultryBreedersAssociation. Poultry breeders across the country are planning toapproachtheGovernmentseekingitsinterventioninthisregard.

“The WTO ruling will hamper growth of the domestic industrywhich is still recovering from bird flu and high feed costs,” saidMCRShetty,President,KarnatakaPoultryFarmersandBreedersAssociation.ShettysaidchickenlegsareconsideredascrapintheUS,whichitwantstodumpintheIndianmarketatathrowawayprice.Suchdumpedchicken legscouldpotentiallyoccupyabout40percentoftheIndianmarket,ShettysaidaddingthattheGovernmentshouldblockthecheaperimportstoprotectthedomesticgrowers.About four lakh farmers are engaged in poultry farming and thedomesticmarketsizeisestimatedataroundRs.50,000crore.ReddysaidthepoultryindustryintheUSishighlysubsidised.Hesaid the Indian poultry industry is ready to competewith theUSprovided they export the whole bird to India and not just thechickenlegs.TheGovernment should consider somemeasures to protect thedomesticgrowers,headded.

North-Eastmonsoon inAndamanSea, saysThaiMetDeptThiruvananthapuram,October15:The North-East Monsoon has arrived in the Andaman Sea,according to an update from the Thailand MeteorologicalDepartmentTheeasterlywindregimehasestablishedwelloverupstreamGulfofThailandandtheThaimainland,theupdatefurthersaid.

EasterlywindsOvertheBayofBengal, thewindsareslowlybutsurelytuningtobeingeasterly.TheywouldstraightenouttotheeastfullyafterthesouthwestmonsoonexitsmainlandIndia.This turning of winds is expected to happen as an elongatedtrough off southeast Sri Lanka extends influence over southwestBayofBengalandeasesuptheflowsintopeninsularIndia.The Thai Met Department said strong north-easterly windsprevailedoverGulfofThailandwithscatteredtofairlywidespreadrainandisolatedheavyrainwithhighwinds.Forecast intoThursdaysaid thatbothsidesofGulfwould remaincloudywith fairlywidespread thundershowersand isolatedheavyrainwithhighwinds.‘Goodbuild-up’North-easterly winds are expected to range between 20 and 35km/hr in speed. The Andaman Sea too is expected to remaincloudy andwindywith scattered thundershowers. Easterly windsareexpectedtoclockbetween15and35km/hrinspeed.This is a ‘good enough’ build-up to northeast monsoon overpeninsular India downstream, according to seasoned monsoonwatchers.Back home, India Met Department said that the southwestmonsoonispreparingtoleavemorepartsofeastandcentralIndiaduringthenextthreetofourdays.ConditionshavebecomeconducivefortheexitafteraremnantofcycloneHudhudweakenedandfadedoutovereastIndia.

RainsforecastTheheavytoveryheavyrainfallthatthecycloneremnantcausedovernight at many places of east Uttar Pradesh and Bihar hadhaltedtheSouth-WestMonsoonwithdrawalprocessfromtheeast.But the delay would only make easterly flows over the Bay ofBengal to consolidate and precipitate in due course the onset ofNorth-EastMonsoon along the eastern seaboard and peninsularIndia.Meanwhile, weak easterlies have already fanned out over TamilNaduandadjoiningKeralaonWednesday.ThisgoestoindicatethatitwouldnottaketoolongfortheSouth-WestMonsoontoexitthelandmass.The Met has forecast rain or thundershowers to break out overmostpartsofsouthIndiafromtheweekend.

CoonoorteasalevolumerisesCoonoor, October 15:For the fourth consecutive week, thevolumecomingfortheauctionsofCoonoorTeaTradeAssociationhasincreasedoverthepreviousweek.Avolumeof18.16lakhkghasbeencataloguedforSaleNo:42tobeheldonThursdayandFriday.This issome48,000kgmore than theofferof lastweek.Lastweek,KodanadclonalBrokenOrangePekoeDust,auctionedbyGlobalTeaBrokers,toppedtheentiremarketwhenKushalTeaCo bought it for Rs. 245 a kg. In the Leaf auction last week,Hindustan Unilever Ltd bought brighter liquoring good mediumvarieties. Tata Global Beverages Ltd., was fairly active on goodmediumsorts.GodfreyPhilipsIndiaLtdwasselectiveonmediumbrokens. In the Dust auction, HUL, was fairly active on goodmediumsmallergrades.Exporterschosemostlyplainergrades.

Ministercalls forbetter focusonagricultureandbiotechBangaloreIndiaBiomeettobeheldonFebruary9-11Bangalore October 15:State IT & BTMinister SR Patil hascalledforbetterfocusonagricultureandbiotechsector.Addressing delegates and mediapersons at the unveiling ofBangaloreIndiaBioconferencetobeheldonFebruary9-11nextyear,Patilsadthatas65-70percentofthepeopleinthecountryare dependent on agriculture, there is an urgent need for thegovernment todevisepolicies thatpromotegrowthof thissector.“Right policies can empower farmers and thereby help theeconomy,”headded.BiotechearningsKarnataka has contributed more than a quarter of the biotechsector earnings, which stood at $4 billion in 2014-15. Half of itcomes from exports. There are 226 biotech companies in theState.“ThereisaneedtopositionIndiaasaqualityyetaffordablehealthcare destination,” said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, CMD ofBiocon,who isalso thechairpersonforKarnataka'sVisionGrouponbiotechnology.Thepotentialgrowthof thissectorcanbeseenfromthefact thataccording to a recent KPMG study, biotech/ healthcare IT areamongst the top trends that can disrupt industries in the next 3years.In2012,theKarnatakaGovernmenthadsentaproposalforsetting up an Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR),whichgot theUnionCabinetapprovalnod in2013.Thisproposalincluded setting up of parks where IT and biotechnologycompanies,includingstartupscouldsetupoperations.For the development of ITIR, the Karnataka Industrial AreaDevelopment Board (KIADB) had announced that it will acquire2,072acresforthefirstphaseofthisproject,whichthestateisstillintheprocessofacquiring.