DATE:18:11:2014

‘Panchangam’-based rainfal l predict ionscondemnedDravidaViduthalaiKazhagamcadrestagedademonstrationhereon Monday condemning a booklet published and distributed tofarmers by the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University on rainfallforecast,withcontentreferringto‘Panchangam’-basedpredictions.Thedemonstrators ledbytheKazhagam’sfounderKolathurManiraised slogans urging the university to forecast rainfall based onscientific facts and the climatic changes to benefit farmers, thanmisguiding them with superstitious predictions. Noting that thepurposeof education is todisseminate knowledge,Mr.Mani hasstated that the purpose is lost through inclusion of superstitiouspredictions.It is learnt that the booklet titled ‘MazhaikalaKuripuPuthagam –2014’has70pages, including13pageson ‘Panchangam’-basedpredictions. He pointed out that there were contradictions inpredictionsmadebyastrologersinthatbooklet.TheyurgedTNAUto remove those pages and come out with scientific predictionsalonetohelpfarmerscultivatetherightcropattherighttime.TNAU urged to come out with scientif ic predictions tohelpfarmers TwocooperativecreditsocietiescomeoutofredTwo Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies, one atAnnavasalandanotheratThudaiyur,whichremainedsickfor thepastseveralyears,hadbeenemergingoutof the red in thepastoneyear thanks tospecialcashcreditscheme introducedby theDepartmentofCooperation.These twosocietiesremainedsickdue topoorbusiness turnovertill seven years ago but the intervention of the District CentralCooperativeBankthroughaspecialcreditofRs.50lakhin2013-14,hascomeinhandyforthemtorevivetheirbusinessthisyear.

“The societies are bound to come out of the red,” says K.V.S.Kumar,JointRegistrarofCooperativeSocieties.Explaining the efforts made for the revival of sick cooperativesocietieshereonMonday,hesaidthatthesesocietieshadstartedsanctioningjewelleryloantothebeneficiaries.He said that similar assistance would be extended to society inAththani.He said similar assistance had been granted under theCooperativeResearchandDevelopmentFundtothreesocietiesinViralimalai,Kudumiyanmalai,andVeeramangalam.Atotalof13cooperativebodieshadbeenadjudgedthebestunitsinthedistrictfortheiroutstandingperformance.Shieldsdistr ibutedDistributingshields to thesebodiesonSunday,C.VijayaBaskar,Minister forHealth,saida targetofRs.110crorehadbeen fixedthis year ofwhichRs. 60.12 crore had been disbursed so far to20,510farmers.Construction of strong rooms was on at 12 primary agriculturalcooperativecreditsocietiesatanexpenditureof36lakh.HegaveawayloanstotallingRs.1.68croreto237beneficiaries.N.Subramanian,MinisterforAdiDravidarWelfare,spoke.

FarmmeetfromtodayThe22ndannualconferenceofAgriculturalEconomicsResearchAssociationwillbeginonTuesdayattheUniversityofAgriculturalSciences,Raichur.According to a press release, the three-day conference isdesignedaround the themeof leveraging institutional innovationsforagriculturaldevelopment.The conference will focus on efficient management of irrigationand common property resources, innovations in the transfer oftechnology,deliveryofcreditand farmservices likeresearchanddevelopment,collective initiatives for improving theefficiencyandbargainingpowerforfarmerproducers,institutionalinnovationsforimprovingscaleandefficiencyofsmallholderagricultureintermsoffactorandproductmarkets.

Three special sessions will be held on strengthening agriculturaleconomics research and education, converging policies andprogrammes for sustainable and climate resilient agriculture inIndia, and development model for accelerating agriculture inHyderabadKarnatakaThedeliberationswillbesynthesisedandpolicyrecommendationsfor strengthening and improving institutional innovations foraccelerating agricultural development in the country and therecommendationswillbesenttoallstakeholders.I t wil l be for three days at the University of AgriculturalSciencesAgri. polytechniccol legetocomeupinSirci l laMinisterforPanchayatRajandITK.T.RamaRaostatedhereonMonday that an agricultural polytechnic college would beestablished at Sircilla in Karimnagar district. He announcedsanctionofRs.5croreforsettingupofthecollegestatingthatallnecessary permissions were secured already. The Minister saidthe collegewould be set up on 10 acres land in Sardapur grampanchayatlimitsabuttingSircillatown.High-techmushroomvi l lageinthemakingEdakkaragramapanchayatispoisedtobecomethefirsthigh-techmushroomvillageintheState.Minister for Agriculture K.P. Mohanan launched a project atEdakkara on Monday, which will cultivate mushroom in largequantitiesunderthesupervisionoftheKudumbasreeMission.TheMinistersaidthatKeralawouldwelcomeanyagriculturalmovebylocalbodiesandpoliticalparties. “Manyof thepartysymbolsaredirectly connectedwith agriculture.Any agricultural advancementwillbeourpoliticaladvancementaswell,”hesaid.Mr.MohanansaidthattheStategovernmentwoulddistributeonelakh calves this year as part of increasingmilk production. Nextyear,twolakhcalveswillbedistributed.Hesaidthatintwoyears,theStatewouldbeproduce30lakhlitresmoreofmilk.MinisterforPower Aryadan Mohammed launched the Samridhi Women’s

CharitableSociety, a collective ofKudumbasreewomenwhowillmanage the production and sale ofmushroom. Edakkara gramapanchayatpresidentO.J.JamesandNilamburmunicipalchairmanAryadanShoukathspoke.TheKudumbasreeunitofEdakkarapanchayattookuptheprojectaimedatconvertingtheirareaintoahigh-techmushroomvillageinresponsetoacallbytheStateKudumbasreewingtoprovidemorejobs for women. Asmany as 110women have come forward tocultivatemushroom.

Agricultural varsity switches to e-governancemodeViceChancellorlaunchesuniversitysuiteElectronicmanagement toolsenhanceefficiencyofadministrationand ensure satisfaction of stakeholders, Kerala AgriculturalUniversity(KAU)Vice-ChancellorP.Rajendranhassaid.Launching theuniversity suiteonMondayaspart of completee-governance programme at KAU, the Vice Chancellor said,“Adoption of futuristic technology will lead to a bright future.Appreciation for the e-governance initiatives of KAU is evidentfromtheawardsearnedbythee-learningcentreoftheuniversity.ThelaunchingofuniversitysuitedevelopedinassociationwithNICisamilestoneinthehistoryofKAU.”University suite includes e-modules for file flow, academicmanagement,andhuman resourcesmanagementaswellaspaydisbursementandalliedmatters.TheKAUhadearlierdevelopedindigenous packages for financial management, pensiondistribution,legalmonitoringandresearchadministration.RegistrarP.V.Balachandranpresidedoverthefunction.

Agri-engg. graduates seek role in farmmechanisationThe Telangana Agricultural Engineering Graduates’ Associationurged the Telangana government to use the services of theagricultural engineering professionals in farm mechanisation,

greenhouse and micro-irrigation initiatives. Though the Uniongovernment has recognised the significance of agriculturalengineers in implementation of farm mechanisation processes,therehavenotbeenrecruitmentsintheunitedAndhraPradeshforthe last24years,generalsecretaryof theAssociationJ.AbhinavReddy and Treasurer G. Kishore Kumar said at a pressconferencehereonMonday.The last recruitmentwas done in 1991when 40 engineerswereappointed.Since then, though farmmechanisation isbeing takenupinabigway,agriculturalengineersarenotbeinginvolvedasisthe practice in the neighbouring States of Maharashtra, TamilNaduandOrissa.Agri-engineeringgraduates specialise in farmmechanisation, soilandwaterconservation,renewableenergy,foodprocessing,post-harvesting and greenhouse technologies. Due to absence of theengineers, the Department of Agriculture is totally dependent onmanufacturersofequipment-relatedtotheseoperations,especiallyformicro-irrigationproject,theoffice-bearersinformed.Agriculturalengineers are the apt technical experts to carry out even thegreenhousecultivation.

Urea production issue in court,MCF hopes earlyresolutionDistrictmaynotfaceureashortage,saysAgricultureDepartmentWhile the Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers (MCF) eagerlyawaits an early resolution to recommence naphtha-fed ureaproduction, the State Agriculture Department has said it is theUnion government’s call to ensure availability of urea to farmersirrespectiveofMCF’sclosure.It is learnt that theMCFhas filedawrit petitionbefore theDelhiHighCourtseekingadirectiontotheCentretoallowcontinuationof naphtha-based urea production till natural gas is madeavailable.TheUniongovernmenthaddirectednaphtha-basedureaplantsinthe country to switch over to natural gas to reduce cost and the

MCFhad toshutdownproduction fromOctober1asnaturalgaswasnotavailableinMangaluru.Company sources toldTheHinduthat theywereexpecting some“positive development” by Wednesday when the petition comesbeforetheHighCourt.TheUnionCabinetisalsoexpectedtomeetthe same day and might take a decision on the issue, sourcessaid. Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers H.N. AnanthKumar had recommended continuation of naphtha-fed ureaproductionuntilalternativearrangementsweremade.Meanwhile,lackofproductionofureaattheMCFmightnotaffectitsavailability inthedistrict,saidH.KempeGowda,JointDirectorofAgriculture,DakshinaKannada.Theureaproducedwenttothenationalpooland itwas theUniongovernment thatallocated thefertilisertodifferentStates,hesaid.Shortageofureahadnotbeennoticedinthedistrictsofarastherabiseasonforpaddywasyettotakeoff,Mr.Gowdaadded.MCFMangalaWorkers’UnionpresidentK.N.SuryanarayanasaidnoaidhadcomefromtheStategovernmentsofartoreviveureaproduction.District may not face urea shortage, says AgricultureDepartment

7missionsformpartofcl imatechangeplanNationalSteeringCommitteeclearsSAPCC,WorldBank fundinglikely

An Anna University study has found 4.2 per cent erosion of thetotalPuducherrycoast.—Photo:S.S.Kumar

Forenvironmentalists,climatechange isa topic thatmakes themsoundalarmbellsalittleloudereachpassingdaytoforceattentiononanimportantissueaffectingthefutureoftheplanet.And, with its geographical profile including its lengthy coastline,climate change is a very real issue for the Union Territory ofPuducherry.Intheyearstocome,theUnionTerritoryisexpectedtobewarmer,experiencea largedegreeof rainfallvariabilityandhaveextremeweathereventswhichwouldaffectsectorssuchasagricultureandtourism,says theconceptnoteofPuducherry’sStateActionPlanonClimateChange.It also quotes a study by Anna University which analysed datafrom1972to2010andfoundcoastalerosionof4.2percentofthetotal Puducherry coast. Now, Puducherry’s State Action Plan onClimate Change (SAPCC) has been endorsed by the NationalSteering Committee on Climate Change of the Ministry ofEnvironment,ForestsandClimateChange.It is now with the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry ofFinance with regard to funds. As the Plan was prepared inconsultation with World Bank, officials of the Department ofScience,TechnologyandEnvironmentsaythereisagoodchanceof thePlan receiving funding from theWorldBankofaroundRs.800 crore in the five-year period. Puducherry is among threeStatesbeingconsideredbytheWorldBankforfunding,apartfromOdisha and Himachal Pradesh, said M. Dwarakanath, director,DepartmentofScience,TechnologyandEnvironment.Theshort-termpart(currentfinancialyear2014-15)ofthePlanofRs.105crore isalsoexpected to ‘standa fair chance’ofgettingfunding from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and ClimateChange,theysaid.Under the SAPCC, seven missions deemed relevant to the UTwere picked. These include the Solar Mission, the EnhancedEnergyEfficiencyMission,theSustainableHabitatMission,GreenPuducherry and Sustainable Agriculture Mission, Water Mission,Strategic Knowledge Mission, and Coastal and DisasterManagementMission.

“ImplementingtheClimateChangeActionPlaninPuducherryhassomeadvantages likeaccessibilitybecauseofasmallersizeandthere is a good awareness of the environment here, thusimplementation will be easier,” said a top official of thegovernment,adding,“itcanserveasamodelforotherStates.”TheSAPCCalso includesa capacity building component,with aClimate Change Cell proposed to be formulated under theDepartment of Science, Technology and Environment. TheDepartment will be the nodal agency responsible forimplementationandmonitoringofprojects.TheambitiousSAPCCwillinvolvemultipledepartmentsinimplementation.

Nirmalafacestheheat

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitaramangoing round tobacco fields before interacting with growers atKoyyalagudem in West Godavari district on Monday.-Photo:A.V.G.PrasadThe Tobacco Board’s move for regularisation of tobacco croptriggeredprotest fromthegrowers in thenorthern lightsoil (NLS)area at a programme attended by UnionMinister for CommerceandIndustryNirmalaSitaramanhereonMonday.Someformersinterruptedheraddresstocomplainthattheyweresubjected to harassment by the Tobacco Board in the name ofregularizing the tobacco crop. As part of the endeavour todiscourage unauthorised tobacco cultivation, the board is said to

havesuspended renewalofa littleover2,000barons in theNLSarea alone falling under West Godavari district this year. Themeasure was intended to off-set the demand-supply gaps andensurepricestabilisation inthe internationalmarket.Thegrowerswitnessedadecline inpricebyRs14perkg lastyear inviewofthe glut in the market caused by excess production from theunauthorisedarea.TheMinistergrew impatientatonestageandasked why the growers remained calm during the 10-year UPAregime.“Youdon’texpecttogetalltheproblemssolvedovernightbytheNDAgovernment,”shesaid.Ms.NirmalaofferedtoleadadelegationoftobaccogrowerstotheUnion Ministers concerned on imposition of a blanket ban ontobaccocultivationinlinewiththeWHO’shealthconcerns.Sharingthe growers’ concern, she said the blanket ban on the tobaccocropwasnotpossibleandfeasibleuntilsuitablealternativecropsweresuggestedbythegovernment.KakarlaV.V.S.PrakasaRao,president of the Virginia TobaccoGrowers Association, informedtheMinister that theso-calledalternativecrops recommendedbythe Centre for Tobacco Research Institute were not viableeconomically and climate-wise also in the NLS area marked bysandyloams.‘Water cannot be supplied under TeluguGangaforrabi’The Irrigation Advisory Board here on Monday expressed itsinability to supply water to rabi crop under Telugu Ganga, KCcanal,HNSS,SRBCandother irrigationsystemsdue to thepoorinflows in canal. TheBoardwanted the Irrigation officials to takeevery measure to protect the standing crops in the canal areassowninkharifseason.Theboardadvisedthegovernmenttodrawwater from Hundri-Neeva and river generation water to protectcrops under KC canal. It was clarified that water could not besupplied torabicropunderTeluguGangathisyear.ThemeetingresolvedthattheKrishnaWaterManagementBoardbelocatedatKurnool in view of major canals originating from here. Thegovernmentwasurged toensureadequate level in theSrisailamreservoir.

Need-based market-led crops ensure increasedrevenueAnexposurevisitorganisedbytheDepartmentofHorticulturehascomeinhandyforthesmallfarmers,whocanmeticulouslydecideon thecrops tobecultivatedand itsseasonso that theycangetattractive revenue throughout the year byusing small quantity ofavailablewater.“If the crops being selected by the farmers are need-based andmarket-led crops, it will certainly fetch a comfortable revenue,besides the good yield and revenue from perennial crops,”according to S. Raja Mohamed, Deputy Director of Horticulture,Tirunelveli. Horticulture crops have turned out to be a viablesource of income generation for the farming community in ruralareas of the district aftermonsoon let the agriculturists down forthepastfiveyears.

Open cotton purchase centres in Chitradurga,saysKRRSMembersoftheKarnatakaRajyaRaithaSanghaandHasiruSenetook out a procession and staged a dharna outside the DeputyCommissioner’s office here on Monday urging the authorities toannounce support price for cotton and open purchase centres inChitradurgadistrict.The protesters took out a procession from Gandhi Circle whichpassed through themain streets of the city, includingMahaveerCircle, and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Circle before culminating outsidethe Deputy Commissioner’s office. They also raised slogansagainsttheStategovernmentandChiefMinisterSiddaramaiahfortheirfailuretoprotecttheinterestsoffarmers.They said that the farmers in the district had grown cotton on alarge area of land to getmore profit, but they could not get theexpectedyieldowingtountimelyrainandotherreasons.Thepriceof cotton had come down too making it difficult to get back theinvestment.The growers had taken loans from banks and other financialinstitutions,butthedeclineinpricehadworsenedtheircondition.

Keeping in view the plight of the growers, the State governmentshouldannounceasupportpricefor thecropandopenpurchasecentres,theyadded.TheprotesterssubmittedamemorandumtoDeputyCommissionerHemajiNayak.·‘Growerscouldnotgetexpectedyieldbecauseofrain’ ·‘Thepriceofcottonhasfal lentoo’

Crop loss compensation of Rs 15,000 per acresoughtOwing to water stagnation, caused by the recent spell of rain,standingpaddycropsonabout10,000acres in the tail-enddeltaregion is facingan imminent threat ofwilting, saidChidambaramMLAK.BalakrishnanHe visited the Parangipettai block near here to inspect thewaterlogged farms in about 25 villages, including Mettukuppam,Arunmozhithevan,Manjakuzhi,ThatchakaduandManalmedu.Mr.Balakrishnantoldreportersthatthefarmerswereseverelyaffectedby the recent rain. There was absolutely no drainage facilitiesplaces such as Chidambaram and Kattumannarkoil. This hasresultedinwaterstagnatinginthefarmlands.HeurgedtheauthoritiestogiveacompensationattherateofRs.15,000peracreofcroploss,freefarminputsandfertilizerstothefarmers to recoup their losses. He also pointed out that thereexisted acute shortage of urea in this region and fix theresponsibilityon theofficialdomtosupply therequirements to thefarmerswithoutanyhitch.

Coconutplantsdistr ibutedtofarmersInviewof the totalwipeoutofcoconutplantationsdue tocycloneHudhud in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts, BharatiyaKisan Sangh has come forward to distribute coconut plants tofarmers, Visakhapatnam MP and president of State unit ofBharatiyaJanataPartyKHaribabuhassaid.

The BKS would be distributing 50,000 coconut plants inViskahapatnam district and 25,000 plants in the two Hudhud-affected mandals in Vizianagaram district. These plants werebeingdistributedfreeofcost,hesaid.ChiefMinisterN.ChandrababuNaiduhandedoversomeplantstoafewcoconutfarmershereonMondayatameetingorganisedatMVPColonybythegovernmenttomarktheplantationprogrammeunderthe‘RejuvenatingVizag’campaign.The State government promotes the tradition of ‘KarteekaVanabhojanam’asapartof thegreencampaign intheState, theChiefMinistersaid.ThegovernmentwouldalsoreviewthestatusofgreeneryacrosstheStateandtakestepstoimprovethegreencover.Decryingtheattitudeofviewingsaplingplantationonlyasaphotoopportunity, Mr Naidu wanted everyone to take social forestryprogramme seriously. Each household should plant at least asaplingandnurtureittillitgrowsintoatree.

DeclineinorangeproductioncausesconcernA widespread decline in the production of citrus fruits in severalArunachal Pradesh districts has caused alarm among orangefarmersinthestateaswellasintheHorticultureDepartment.Lohit and Lower Dibang Valley, the twomajor orange producingdistricts, are particularly affected by the phenomenon as manyfarmershadtoabandonhundredsofhectaresoforangeorchards.According to a survey conducted by the Arunachal PradeshHorticultureResearchandDevelopmentMission(APHRDM) fromOctober 26 toOctober 31,Wakro in Lohit district, known as theorangebowlof thestate,andRoingandKorunucircles inLowerDibangValleydistrictareworstaffected.A farmer at Chidu village has lost 10,500 orange trees. Similarstories of losses were reported in the Koronu circle in LowerDibangValleydistrict,whereabout20,000citrustreeswerefoundbereftoffruits.PTI

PressCentreformoreurea:EVKSTNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan said on Monday thatCongress workers would identify themselves with the problemsfacedbythepeopleandurgedthegovernmenttoactfasttohelpfarmersovercomefertilisershortage.“Farmersare in aprecarious situation: themonsoon is good thisyear, but fertilisers, especially urea, are in short supply. ChiefMinisterO. Panneerselvam should visit NewDelhi andmeet theMinisters concerned to get enough quantum of urea for TamiNadu.Sendingmemorandawouldnotserveanypurpose,”hesaidwhiletalkingtojournalistshere.IftheCentrecouldnotearmarkanadequatequantumofureaforTamilNadu,theStateshouldimportit.Confident of returning to power in the State by 2016, Mr.Elangovansaid theparty leaderswouldwork together toachievetheaim.“Wewillorganiseinterfaceswithpeopleatthegrassrootsineverydistrictandhighlightlocalissues.”SpecialCorrespondentreportsfromErodeSpeakingatameetinginErode,Mr.ElangovansaidtheCongresswould bring back the Kamaraj rule on its own or become thekingmakerafterthe2016Assemblyelections.Touching on the exit of G.K. Vasan from the party, he said hispresence had not strengthened the party, nor his absenceweakened it. On ties with the Dravidian parties, Mr. ElangovansaidtheCongressdidnotconsideranypartyasuntouchable,andpartypresidentSoniaGandhiwouldtakeadecisiononallianceatthetimeofelections.

‘Makedairyingprofi table’Callingondairyfarmerstoadoptscientificmethodstomakedairyfarming profitable, Rural Development Minister K.C. Joseph hassaidthatfrequenthikesinmilkpricearenotasustainablesolutionto end the grievances of farmers. He was inaugurating anintegrateddairydevelopmentprojecthereonMonday.Hesaidthat

milkpricewashiked13 times in thepast threeyears.—SpecialCorrespondent· State-level meet of dairy farmers to be held atManikkadavu · Rs.5 crore each for Kannur, Thrissur for producingmoremilk

Catt le feed shortage leading to low milkproduction:DKMULDue to the lack of cattle feed,milk production in the district fallsshort of demandbymore than25per cent, said RavirajHegde,president,Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Union Ltd.(DKMUL)hereonMonday.Talkingduringthe launchofNandiniproductshere,hesaidwhilethedemandformilkintheregionwasaround4lakhlitresdaily,theproductionwasjust3.13lakh.“This is largely due to lack of quality cattle fodder, which isdeterringmorefarmersfromtakingupdiaryfarming,”hesaid.Oneof thesolutionspropounded for increasing theproductionofcattle feedwas to allow for farmers to use gomala land (grazingland)andothersuitablegovernment landforcultivationoffodder,saidMr.Hegde.“WehavealreadywrittentotheStategovernmenttoearmarklandinthevillagesforgrowingfodder,”hesaid.Another proposal presented before P. Nagaraj, president ofKarnataka Milk Federation — who participated in the launch —wasthesettingupofadiaryunitatUppoor inUdupidistrict,andthesettingupofanicecreamfactoryinthedistrict.AssuringthedistrictUnionofpursuingtheproposals,Mr.Nagarajsaid,“TheUppoorfactorymaycostRs.70crore.WewillhavetoaskChiefMinisterSiddaramaiah,andwewillpushforatleastRs.40crorefundingforthis.”Meanwhile,hesaidthe‘NandiniGold’cattlefeedintroducedbytheStategovernmentwas “asuccess” thatcouldgenerateadditionalrevenuesofuptoRs.300croreannuallyforfarmers.Accordingtohim,500societieshadalreadygivenpositivefeedbackforthefeed

thatusedmaizeasitsprimarycomponent(45percent),insteadofpaddythatwasbeingtraditionallyused.“Farmersarereportingthatfatcontent inmilkhadincreasedby2percent,whilethecowsweregivinganaverageofonelitreextradaily,”hesaid.From“thicker”curdtorichcream,DakshinaKannadaCooperativeMilkUnionLtd. (DKMUL)has launched twonewproducts in theirexpandingNandinilineonMonday.TheNandini“Realthickcurd”comesincansof200g(Rs.20)and400g(Rs.36),unlikethepacketcurdthat isbeingsoldnow,saidofficialsoftheunion.HealthbenefitsAfteropening, thecurd—which isbeingadvertisedfor itshealthbenefits of having fat, protein, lactose, minerals and vitamins—canberefrigeratedforaround15days.Thecreamhas35percentfatwhencomparedtothe25percentfat available commonly in the market now, said BV.Satyanarayana,ManagingDirector,DKMUL.“Nearly 360g of ghee can be obtained from Nandini cream,comparedtoaround200gfromthecreamcurrentlyavailable,”hesaid.ProductsWith this, theproductcatalogueof theKarnatakaMilkFederationextendstomorethan82products.

TSinneedofatouchofgreen

Withforestcoveratjust25.16percent,theStatehasmilestogo.A ‘zero tolerance’ approach towards smuggling, poaching andencroachmentwasalsosuggestedforprotectionandimprovementofforests.TelanganaState lagsbehindwith25.16per cent forest cover asagainstanationalgoalofhaving33percentofgeographicalareaunder tree cover,which calls for steps to protect existing forestsandtoincreasegreencoveroutsidetheforestareas.With geographical area being 114.703 lakh hectares, the forestarea is found to account for 28.853 lakh hectares, just above aquarterstandingat25.16percent.AnoteonforestprotectionforthebudgetsessionconcedesthattheforestsofTSweresubjectedtoimmensebioticpressuresleadingtotheirdegradation.Khammamwith 7,945 square km leads the table of district-wiseforest area followed by Adilabad with 7,101 square km andWarangal with 4,023 square km.Medak district with 963 squarekmandNalgondadistrictwith889.15squarekmfindaplaceatthebottomofthetable.

Thenotemakesamentiononthe‘urgentneedtotreatandnurturethe forest area’ and adds that efforts were needed to protect‘existing forests and to increase green cover outside thedesignated forest areas aswell through social forestry activities.’The objective was sought to be achieved by a multi-prongedapproach of rejuvenating degraded forests, ensuring moreeffective protection of forests against smuggling, encroachment,fireandgrazing,amongothersteps.A ‘zero tolerance’ approach towards smuggling, poaching andencroachmentwasalsosuggestedforprotectionandimprovementof forests. The Forest Department in recent times has taken upinitiatives such as establishing 128 base camps in interior areasandengagingfivelocaltribalhelpersateachcamp.Also,56strikeforceswithvehiclesweresetuptocontrolteaksmugglingand56checkpostsstrengthenedwithadditionalmanpower.

Launchbhagyaschemeforfarmers:DeveGowdaSaysitwillhelppreventfarmersfromcommittingsuicideCharging the State government with neglecting the farmers,Janata Dala (Secular) supremo and MP H.D. Deve Gowda onFriday urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to launch “Bhagyascheme” for farmers on the lines of Anna Bhagya and KsheeraBhagya.“ThegovernmentshouldlaunchaRaithaBhagyaschemeandprotectfarmersfromcommittingsuicide,”hesaid.He was speaking to presspersons after inaugurating an ATM(automotivetellermachine)ofHassanDistrictCentralCooperativeBankinHassan.Farmerswerefacingdifficultiesowingtoafall inthe prices of many products, including onion, arecanut andtobacco.Thegovernmenthadnotrespondedtotheirproblems,hesaid.He said that he had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sappointmenttwicetodiscussfarmers’issues.However,hehadnotyet got a chance tomeet thePrimeMinister. “Iwill actively takepart in the Parliament session beginning on November 24 andraise farmers’ issues there,” he said.Mr. DeveGowda said thatCongress president Sonia Gandhi had invited him to attend the

inaugural plenary session of the international conference onNehru’s Legacy on November 17. He would take part in thesessionandsharehisviewsonNehru’s role inshaping India,headded.

Reducesalt intakeforbetterkidneyhealth

Toomuchsaltinone’sdietincreasestheriskofcontractingkidneyproblems,saysanewresearch.The researchers foundhighsodium intake (anaverageof4.7gaday) is linked with an increased risk of needing dialysis, but nobenefitwasseenforlowsodiumintake(average2gaday).“Our findings extend the known benefits of healthy eating andshow that the consumption of a healthy diet may protect fromfuturemajor renal events,” saidAndrewSmyth from theNationalUniversityofIreland,Galway.“Asdietarymodificationisalow-cost,simpleintervention, itoffersthepotentialtosignificantlyreducetheburdenfromchronickidneydisease,whilealsoprotectingfromcardiovasculardisease,”Smythaddedinthestudyinvolving544,635participants.

Thesefindingswereconfirmedbyaseparatestudythatfoundthatreducingsalt intakereducesalbuminuria,orexcessprotein in theurine,whichisahallmarkofkidneydysfunction.In the study involving 120 rural villages in China, researchersanalysedtheresultsofan18-monthsodiumreductionprogramme.The findings of the study led by Meg Jardine from The GeorgeInstitute for International Health, in Australia and her colleaguesrevealed that individualswho underwent sodium reduction had a33 percent decreased likelihood of having albuminuria comparedwithindividualsinthecontrolvillages.Both the studies were presented at ASN (American Society ofNephrology) Kidney Week Nov 11-16, 2014 in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania.

weather

| Chennai-INDIA

Today'sWeather

Clear

Tuesday,Nov18

Max Min29o |25o

Rain:0 Sunrise:06:07Humidity:94 Sunset:05:39Wind:normal Barometer:1011

Tomorrow'sForecast

Cloudy

Wednesday,Nov19

Max Min32o |24o

ExtendedForecastforaweek

ThursdayNov20

FridayNov21

SaturdayNov22

SundayNov23

MondayNov24

32o|24o 33o|27o 34o|27o 33o|27o 33o|27oPartlyCloudy

Sunny

PartlyCloudy

PartlyCloudy

PartlyCloudy

Submitproposaltostoprhinopoaching:HarshVardhantoAssam

UnionscienceandtechnologyministerHarshVardhanonMondayaskedtheAssamforestdepartmenttosubmitascientificproposaltostoppoachingofone-horned rhinosandprotect thespecies inthestate.GUWAHATI: Union science and technology minister HarshVardhanonMondayaskedtheAssamforestdepartmenttosubmita scientific proposal to stop poaching of one-horned rhinos andprotectthespeciesinthestate.The minister said this while visiting the Institute of AdvancedStudiesinScienceandTechnologyinBoragaonareaofthecity.Harsh Vardhan, who reached Assam on Saturday, visited thefamousKazirangaNationalParkSunday."We should use science and the acumen of the youth to makethings better as far as the issue of protection of wildlife isconcernedandstoppoachingofrhinos,"hesaid.

"Ihaveaskedtheforestdepartmenttogivemeaproposaltostoppoaching and protect wildlife using science and technology," hetold newsmen after visiting the science and technology institute.Over 25 rhinos have been killed in Assam this year - 23 in thehigh-securityKazirangaparkalone.While the state government has taken many steps to stoppoaching, the killings continue in various protected areas ofAssam.Accordingtostatisticsfromtheforestdepartment,Assamhaslost193rhinossince2001duetopoaching.AtafunctionattheNorthEastInstituteofScienceandTechnologyin Jorhat district on Saturday, Harsh Vardhan said the centralgovernmentwastryingtodocumenttheimpactofclimatechangeontheecosystemandbiodiversityofthenortheastregion.

Healthyheartpreventsfutureill-healthPeoplewhoadoptahealthylifestyleintheirteenageyearsfaceasignificantlyreducedriskofcontractingheartdiseases,saysanewresearch.Maintaining a healthy heartwhile youngmay help prevent futurediseaseanddisability,thefindingsshowed."Peopleshouldadoptandmaintainahealthy lifestyleatallages,especially young," said study lead author Thanh Huyen T. Vu,researchassistantprofessorattheNorthwesternUniversity intheUS.A healthy lifestyle has been shown to be associated withfavourable levels of cardio-vascular disease risk factors.

In thestudyspanningmore than threedecades,participantswhowereatlowriskofheartandbloodvesseldiseaseasyoungadultswere found 60 percent less likely to report disability as olderadults.To determine risk level, researchers used blood pressure,cholesterol and body mass index measurements, as well asdiabetesandsmokingstatus.The study involved data from 3,669 men and 2,345 women.Participants were aged 29-68 when the study began in 1967 to1973. The researchers co-related the data to the participants'responses toa2003healthsurveyabout functionaldisabilityandqualityoflife.Thefindingswerepresentedatthe"AmericanHeartAssociation'sScientificSessions2014"inChicago,Illinois.

Home-cookedfoodidealforhealthydietPeople who frequently cook meals at home eat healthier andconsume fewercalories than thosewhocook less, saysastudy.Those who frequently cooked at home -- six-to-seven nights aweek--alsoconsumedfewercaloriesontheoccasionswhentheyateout,thefindingsshowed."When people cookmost of theirmeals at home, they consumefewercarbohydrates,lesssugarandlessfatthanthosewhocooklessornotatall -even if theyarenot tryingto loseweight,"saidstudy author JuliaWolfson from the JohnsHopkinsUniversity intheUS.

The researchers analysed data from the 2007-2010 NationalHealth and Nutrition Examination Survey from more than 9,000participantsaged20andolder.Theresearchers found thateightpercentofadultscookeddinneronceorlessaweekandthisgroupconsumed,onanaverageday,2,301 total calories, 84 grams of fat and 135 grams of sugar.Forty-eight percent of participants cooked dinner six to seventimesaweekandtheyconsumed2,164calories,81gramsof fatand119gramsofsugaronanaverageday.Theresearchersalsofoundthatthosewhocookathomerelylessfrequentlyon frozen foodsandarealso less likely tochoose fastfoodsontheoccasionswhentheyeatout."The evidence shows people who cook at home eat a morehealthydiet,"Wolfsonadded.The study will be published online in the journal Public HealthNutrition.

Rooftopsolarschemegets2,140consumerapplications

Those living in the city preferred solar systems without batterybackup as there was no load shedding, but in other districts,peoplewerelookingforabattery-supportedsystem.Chennai:The grid tied domestic rooftop solar photovoltaicscheme, promoted by the TN Energy Development Agency(TEDA), has gathered momentum as it received 2,140applications from consumers seeking its installation.According toaTedaofficial,about240solar systemshavebeeninstalled by vendors in the state under the CM’s solar rooftopcapital incentive scheme. “We are hoping to receive moreapplicationsfromconsumersinthecomingdays,”theofficialsaid.MrSubramanianofGreenPearlSolarSystems,oneoftheenlistedTedavendors,saidthat therewasagooddemandfor installationofrooftopsolarpanelswithnetmeteringfacility.“Wehaveinstallednearly 40 solar systems in homes. After reduction in subsidy, aonekwsolar systemwill cost aboutRs50,000, including cost ofnet meters supplied by Tangedco,” he added.

Those living in the city preferred solar systems without batterybackup as there was no load shedding, but in other districts,peoplewere looking for a battery-supported system. The batteryhas tobereplacedevery twoor threeyears,whichamounts toarecurringexpenditure,henoted.AnotherenlistedvendorofTedasaid that inordinatedelayby theministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) in releasingsubsidy for the rooftop photovoltaic system had slowed downimplementation of the scheme. “Wehave installed solar systemson consumer rooftops after collecting only the amount, reducingthestateandCentralgovernmentsubsidies,”hesaidadding thatthough the state government had released its subsidy of Rs20,000,theMNRE’ssharewasyettobereleased.AseniorTedaofficialsaidtherewasdelayinreleasingsubsidybythe Union ministry for the past two years. But in the last twomonths,theystartedreleasingthesubsidyamount.Buttheofficialsaid thedelay in installationwasdue to lessavailabilityof locallymanufacturedinverters.Usesolarpanels,save40percentonyourpowerbill

K. Chandrasekar, a resident of Rajkilpakkam, shows the rooftopsolarphotovoltaicsysteminstalledathisresidence.(Photo:DC)

Chennai:Mr Chandrasekar’s four-bedroom house inRajkilpakkam,acitysuburb, looksnodifferent fromotherhousesinthecity.Andyet,thefamilyisamongthefewthathasreducedits electricity bill by 40 per cent through harnessing solar power.“Ourbi-monthlyelectricitybillhascomedownby30to40percentafter installation of a grid tied rooftop SPV system with netmetering facility under theChiefMinister’s Solar RooftopCapitalIncentive Scheme (CMSRCIS),” said Mr K. Chandrasekar, whoworksinSouthernRailway.TamilNaduisthefirststateinthecountrytointroducenetmeters,whichwillrecordbothpowerconsumptionaswellassupplytothegrid.LiketheChandrasekars, thereare240residents in thestatewholookto thesunasamainsourceofenergyandare lessaffectedbytheconstantthreatsofatariffhike.Installation of rooftop solar photovoltaic system (SPV) at homesseems tobeabetteroption toovercome theproposed tariffhikeasakilowattsystemgeneratesfiveunitsonasunnydayandtwotothreeunitsoncloudydays.Hishouseisalsodesignedtomakeuseofnaturallightandbetterventilation facilities to reduce electricity consumption. MrChandrasekar said that normally his power consumption for abimonthlybillingperiod varies from700 to800unitsbutwith thehelp of solar power generation his net payable units has comedownto500,whichqualifieshimtoavailpowertariffsubsidy.

Runofthemillet

Pickled vegetables, mixed grain and millets salad is a healthysalad,whichuseslacto-fermentedvegetables,quinoa,redriceandHimalayanmillet,alongwithfreshherbsanddriedfruitsItallstartedwithmeplanningtogoandseetheValleyofFlowers.LocatedinUttarakhand,itisknownforitsbeautifulfaunaandflora.Iwasfirstintroducedtothisvalleyaboutfouryearsago,aslotsofmy fellow chefs hailed from this region. I must admit that theinhabitantsofthevalleyaretalented,hardworkingandbeautiful.Onmywaytothevalley, I realisedthat Ihadunderestimatedtheregion completely. It was even more beautiful than what I hadvisualisedandevenmorechallengingthanIhadthought.Narrow roadways overlooking deep and steep trenches,landslides, rainsandunplannedhaltsmade the tripadventurous,excitingandmemorable.Itgotextendedwaybeyondmyimaginationandschedulebecauseoftherainsandfrequentlandslides.Ihadnochoicebuttospendanightinavillagewiththelocals.Iwastired,hungryandfrustrated,andwhatIgottoeatwassomekind of cereal, whichwas very similar to broken rice, alongwithsomespicedlentils.I instantly fell in lovewithsightly coarseyetgooey textureof thecereal and its nutty taste. I learnt that the cereal is locally called

mundwa or popularly known as the Himalayan millet or thebarnyard millet. It is grown in the Shivaliks and it’s a staple ofpeoplethere.Thereal funstartedwhenmyteamandIdecidedtouse it inourkitchen.Wecheckeditsflavourprofile,cookingmethodsandotheringredients that could go well with it and came up with someinnovativedishesusingthemillet.ThewriterisachefatDramzWhiskyBarandLounge,MehrauliHimalayanmil let,BambooriceandstickyricepuddingTheadditionofHimalayanmilletsgivesthisdishthedesirednuttyflavour and an aftertaste. The taste of burnt sugar and reducedmilkgoeswellwiththetasteofmillets.Ingredients• Bamboorice,soakedinwaterfor2and1/2hours• Himalayanmillet50gm• Stickyrice30gm• Onevanillabean,scraped• Tonedmilk1.25litre• Condensedmilk30gm• Heavycream400ml• Brownsugar50gmMethod• Inaheavybottompan,boilbamboo riceandsticky rice intonedmilkfor20minutes.

• Once it has become soft, blend it for 30 seconds with ahandblender.This is tobreak the riceand togivea fullertexturetothepudding.

• To this, add the Himalayan millet and scrapings of thevanillabeanandsimmerforanother10minutes.

• Now,addcondensedmilkandcreamtotheabovemixture.Cook till itbecomes thick.Tocheck,see if the liquidcoatsthebackofthespoonevenlyornot.

• Takeitofftheheatandleaveintherefrigeratortochill.• Brownsugarwillbeusedatalaterstage.

TARTSHELLFORTHEPUDDING• Refinedflour300gm• Icingsugar100gm• Butter200gm• Twobeateneggs• Kidneybeans50gmMethod• Creambutter,sugarandeggtogether.• Sift in the flour to it, knead briefly so that it becomes acohesivemass.

• Leaveintherefrigeratortochillfortwohours.• Takeitoutfromtherefrigeratorandrollintothinsheets.• Line tart moulds of your choice and insert the sheetsproperly. Once the tart moulds are lined, keep them forchillingonceagainforanhour.

• Takeoutthemouldsandline itwithaluminiumfoil.Pour insomekidneybeansinthetartmouldsandbakeintheovenat 180ºC for 15 minutes. The beans are used for puttingpressureonthemoulds.Thishelpsinmaintainingtheshapeofthetart.

• Removethekidneybeansandthealuminiumfoilandbakeitforanother fiveminutesat thesame temperature.The tartmouldshouldgetanicegoldencolour,that’sthekey.

• Removethetartsfromthemouldandallowthemtocoolatroomtemperature.

Assembly• Take out the rice and millet pudding from the refrigeratorandfillitinthetartmoulds.

• Evenoutthesurfacewithapalateknife.• Sprinklebrownsugarontopandcaramelisethesugarwithablowtorch.

• It’sreadytobeserved.

StewedlambwithrootvegetablesandHimalayanMil let This isaheartydish,which takes itsownsweet timebefore it isready to be served. It is often served as a one-pot meal. Thepresence of the millets breaks the monotony of the dish, givesadditional texture and eliminates the need of any otheraccompaniment like rice or bread with the dish.Ingredients• Oliveoil75ml• Mildredchillipowder5gm• Salttotaste• Twoonionscutintobigdices• Twocarrotscutintobigdices• Garlic10cloves(whole)• Oneturnip,cutintobigdices• Himalayanmillet50gm• Peppercorn2gm(whole)• Lambstock700ml• Cloves5• Bonelesslegoflamb,cubed600gm• Tomatopaste100gm• Freshcilantro,roughlychopped20gmMethod• Makeamarinadebymixingtogetheroliveoil,chillipowder,salt, clove and peppercorn. Marinate the lamb cubes andleaveinarefrigeratorfor3hours.

• Inaheavybottompan,heat50mlofoliveoilandput1/3rdofthemarinatedlamb.Keepcookingtillthelambcubesturnbrown.Keepthebrownedlambaside.Similarly,totheoilinthepanaddandcooktillbrownedtheremainingmarinatedlambintwobatches,andkeepaside.

• In the same pan, sauté onions, carrot, turnip and garlicclovesfor5minutes.

• Addtomatopastetoitandcookforadditional5minutes.• Addthebrownedlambtothepotandaddthelambstocktoit.

• Stir in theHimalayanmilletsnowandbringeverything toaboil.Letitsimmerandskimoffallthefroth.

• Keep simmering it for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours and checkthelambforsoftness.Ifthelambisnottenderenough,thensimmertillitbecomestender.

• Oncedone,checktheseasoningsandtakeitofftheflame.Addthechoppedcilantroandserve.

Herbalmouthwashtoeasecancerpain

The plants used for herbal mouthwash have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory,mucolyticoranalgesicproperties,whicharefoundtobe effective individually or in various combinations. (Photo:DC/File)Chennai:The Medical Superintendent of Regional CancerCentre, Dr K. Ramadas says, “The liquid is a mix of equalquantitiesofpowdereddriedleavesandbarkofneem(Azadiractaindica); fruits of amla (Emblica officinalis), yellowmyrobalan/haritaki (Terminalia chebula) and belericmyrobalan/bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica); and dried liquorice(Glycyrrhizaglabra)roots,alldissolvedinwater.”The plants used for herbal mouthwash have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory,mucolyticoranalgesicproperties,whicharefoundto

be effective individually or in various combinations. Themouthwash works better on oral cancer patients or any othercancer patients, who are receiving radiation therapy. Themouthwashalsocombatsulcersandinfections.Themouthwash is foundeffective for theoralmucolitis,apainfulsideeffectofradiationtherapygiventocancerpatients.Asaresultof cell death in reaction to chemo or radiotherapy, the mucosalliningofthemouthbecomesthin,maysloughoffandthenbecomered,inflamedandulcerated,hesays.Aboutoralmucositis,Ramadassays, “Oralmucositis isaseverepain,andthedegreeofpainisusuallyrelatedtotheextentofthetissue damage. The pain would be a burning sensationaccompanied by reddening. Due to pain, the patient mayexperiencetroublespeaking,eating,orevenopeningthemouth.”Themouthwashitselfmaynothaveanti-cancerproperties,butbyreducing toxicity it lowers treatmentcostandhospitalisationwhileallowingpatientstocompletetheirtreatment.Themouthwashhasbeendeveloped,clinicallytestedandpatented.DrG.Selvalakshmi,RadiationOncologist,CancerInstitute,Adyar,says, “Side effects cannot be avoided in any treatment. But,advanced technologies are used tominimise the side effects. Incaseoforalmucositis, theproblemusuallyappearsat theendofthethirdorfourthweekforasix-weekcourse.Duringthistime,thepatient is given anti-bacterial mouthwash, painkillers, antibioticsandanti-fungals.Thereareinstanceswherepatientsarereluctantto continue the radiation therapy, because of the pain. But, theyarecounselledbythepsycho-oncologistsintheinstitute.”

‘Union and State govts must extend sops to teaindustry’Kochi,November17:Falling prices, wage increases coupled with high fertiliser costhaveputtheSouthIndianteaindustryindirestraits.Teapricesoflate have dropped 13 per cent comparedwith last year, therebyputtingseveralcompaniesinanunviableposition.Therehasbeena growing demand from the plantation industry for governmentsupport as a whole on account of high labour involvement invariousphasesofteaproduction.Chacko P Thomas, Managing Director, Kanan Devan HillsPlantations Company Pvt Ltd (KDHP), spoke toBusinessLineonthecurrentphaseof the industry, issues facedby thesectorandincreaseinproductioncostwhichhaveputtheplantationsectoronthevergeofcollapse.Labourwageshaveincreasedby18.34percent in the past two years while prices registered a 13-per centdrop.Editedexcerptsfromtheinteraction:With the prices fal l ing, howdo you see the prospects inthecurrentyear?TeapricesinSouthIndiahavefallentoalarminglylowlevelsfromApril and the free fall is continuing. It is certainly a threat for thesurvival of the plantation sector and the industry has soughtsupport from the Union and State Governments in the form ofexport incentives, plantation and land reforms and tax breaks toensuresustainabilityoftheplantationindustry.UnfavourablepoliciessuchasPlantationTax,Agriculture IncomeTax, Basic Land Tax etc specifically in Kerala have furtheraggravated the situation, forcing South Indian tea companies tooperateonrazorthinmargins.With wage increase in the North-East, I understand that thesituationtheretooisexpectedtodeteriorate.

Whatisthesituationontheexportfront?HaveproblemsinWestAsiaandPakistanaffectedthetrade?Exportmarketsaredull as faras Indian tea is concerneddue tooverproduction inexport-oriented teaeconomies suchasKenyaand Sri Lanka, making low-priced teas easily available in theinternationalmarket.The demand inWest Asia and Pakistan, due to political turmoilandcheaperKenyanteas,isforverylow-pricedIndianteas,whichisnoteconomicallyfeasibletoproduce.What is thestatusof theproposal for tourism-promotionactivit iesinestates?Allactivitiesonthenon-teaandplantationtourismfronthavebeensuspendedat themomentasweareawaitingcertainclearancesfromthegovernment.Thecontinuedviabilityof theplantations isgreatlydependentonobtaining these permissions and implementing the same in theshortestpossibletime.Doyouhaveanyplanstoacquireotherplantations?There are no plans to acquire any plantations. However, wewillcontinuetosupportpartial,inorganicgrowth,bytakingfactoriesinotherStatestoprocessboughtleaf.HowwastheperformanceofKDHPlastyear?TheperformanceofKDHPduringthelastyearwasquitegoodwiththecompanyturningoutwithaprofitbeforetaxofRs.23.94crore.Theproductionin2013-14was23.46millionkgwhiletheturnoverwasRs.287crore.HowisyourRipplebranddoingintheretai l market?Ripple has created a strong market presence in Kerala and wehave now slowly introduced it into Tamil Nadu in the first stage,after which we will cover the rest of South India in a phasedmanner.Wearealsoworkingon introducingnewvariantsofRipple in themarket.Whatisyourshareinorganicteabusiness?We produce up to 2 lakh kg of organic teas annually.We have a small yet signif icant presence in the organicmarket.

Demand-supplybalancekeepscardamomsteady

Kochi,November17:Thecardamommarketlastweekruledsteadyatauctionsheldlastweek as demand matched supply, despite higher arrivals. Thiswasinviewofactivecoveringbydomesticbuyers,mandmatchedsupply,tradesourcesinKumilysaid.AttheCardamomPlanters’Association(CPA)auctiononMondayin Bodinayakannur, 64.6 tonnes of capsules arrived and of this,59.4tonnesweretraded.ThemaximumpricewasRs.864andtheauction average stood atRs.742.90 a kg, indicating gooddemand.InferiorqualityIt is believed that the material at the auction was comparativelyinferior,tradesourcespointedout.Thecurrentbuyingtrendgivesthe impression that the pipelines are empty. At the same timesince this is the peak harvesting period, good green colour andboldcapsulesareavailableingoodvolume.Therefore,manyarebuying it for replenishing the inventories fortheir future needs. The third round of picking is currently underway,growerssaid.GoodvarietycapsulesarearrivinginnumbersandarebeingtradedatRs.750-800akg.At theSundayauctionheldby theKeralaCardamomProcessingand Marketing Company, arrivals stood at 126.2 tonnes against125tonnesatthepreviousauctionandtheentirequantitywassoldout.

GoodnumbersThemaximumpricewasRs.1,018akgandtheminimumRs.578.The auction average was upRs.762.02 againstRs.761 theprevious Sunday, PC Punnoose, General Manager, CPMC,toldBusinessLine.Supplyof8mmboldcardamomconstituted40percentofthelotsandgoodcolourboldcapsuleswere fetchingRs.950-1,000akg.Total arrivals during the season so far stood at 6,691 tonnesagainst7,778tonnesduringthesameperiodlastyear.Saleswere6,574tonnesagainst7,519tonnes.The individual auction average as on November 16 was ataroundRs.757akgandonthecorrespondingdatelastyearwasataroundRs.603.Pricesofgradedvarieties(Rs./kg):8mmbold(950-1,000);7mm-8mm(800-830);6mm-7mm(720-730);below6mm(650-660).