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HomePosts Tagged "horticulture" (Page 2)
AgroPolicy, Horticulture, Oilseeds, Organic, Pulses, Trade

Narendra Singh Tomar stated that the centre and states would work together to ensure pesticide and seeds availability to reduce input costs for farmers

Union Agriculture Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated National Conference on Agriculture for Kharif Campaign 2022-23 at NASC Complex, New Delhi. The minister expressed satisfaction that as per 2nd Advance Estimates (2021-22), total foodgrains production in the country is estimated at 3160 lakh tonnes which will be a record. The pulses and oilseeds production will be 269.5 and 371.5 lakh tonnes, respectively. As per third advanced estimates, horticulture production during 2020-21 is 3310.5 lakh tonnes which is the highest ever for Indian horticulture. 

The minister stated that the centre and states would work together to ensure pesticide and seeds availability to reduce input costs for farmers. He urged that there should be a strategy to replace urea with nano-urea. He declared that the government would continue to emphasise natural and organic farming. On exports, the minister said that while agriculture exports have increased, attention should be paid to quality products so that they can compete in international markets. Exporters and farmers both should benefit.

The objective of this conference was to review and assess the crop performance during the preceding crop seasons and fix crop-wise targets for the Kharif season in consultation with state governments, ensure the supply of critical inputs and facilitate the adoption of innovative technologies to enhance production and productivity of the crops. The priority of the government is agro-ecological based crop planning for diversion of land from excess commodities like rice and wheat to deficit commodities like oilseeds and pulses and high-value export earning crops. The government is giving high priority to crop diversification with a focus on self-sufficiency in oilseeds and pulses and the promotion of oil palm. Consultations with all the stakeholders like major states, researchers, industries and policy makers have been held to finalise a National Policy Frame Work for Crop Diversification Programme in the country. All states should work towards crop diversification for making agriculture sustainable, profitable and self-sufficient in deficit commodities. 

The conference set national targets for total food grain production set at 3280 lakh tonne for the year 2022-23 compared to expected production of 3160 lakh tonne during the current year. The target for production of pulses has been fixed at 295.5 and 413.4 lakh tonne in 2022-23. Nutri-cereals production has to be increased from 115.3 in 2021-22 to 205.0 lakh tonnes in 2022-23. The strategy would be to increase area through inter-cropping and crop diversification and productivity enhancement through the introduction of HYVs and the adoption of suitable agronomic practices in low yielding regions. 

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary (Agriculture and Farmers Welfare), said that the country is maintaining an increasing trend in food grain production from 2015-16. The total food grain production has increased by 25 per cent in the last six years from 251.54 to 316.01 million tonne. Oilseeds have followed the same trend and have shown a growth of 42 per cent from 25.25 million tonne in 2015-16 to 37.15 million tonne in 2021-22. India’s exports of agricultural products have grown by 19.92 per cent during 2021-22 to touch $50.21 billion ( Rs 376575 crore). The commodities like wheat, other cereals, rice (other than Basmati), soya meal, raw cotton, fresh vegetable, processed vegetables etc have registered the most positive growths. 

He said, “We have to accelerate the production and productivity of agriculture and horticulture sectors for ensuring food and nutritional security in the rural areas. The government has adopted several developmental programmes, schemes, reforms and policies that focus on higher incomes for the farmers. Action Plan for three years Seed Rolling Plan (2021-22 to 2023-24) for all oilseeds with allocation Rs 381.95 crore will produce a total of 14.7 lakh quintals of quality seed of new HYVs will be produced in next three years.” 

Making a detailed presentation on the strategies for crop management in Kharif season, Dr AK Singh, Agriculture Commissioner said that country has recorded all-time high food grains, oilseeds and horticultural production due to timely interventions of the government. Now, special focus is given to oilseeds, pulses and nutria-cereals. Post monsoon, rainfall has been more than normal and about 55.76 lakh hectares were under cultivation during summer. Following government policy, there has been a reduction in area under rice with a corresponding increase in pulses and oilseeds cultivation. The government has worked out the requirement of seed and fertilisers and will ensure their timely supply. 

Narendra Singh Tomar stated that the centre

Horticulture, Interaction

ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research has organised a three-day National Seminar on “Fruit Production in Eastern Tropical Region” 

The ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka has organised a three-day National Seminar on “Fruit Production in Eastern Tropical Region” at its Central Horticultural Experiment Station, Bhubaneswar, Odisha from March 24 to 26, 2022. 

The Seminar was aimed at devising a roadmap for the development of the fruit industry in the Eastern Tropical Region through deliberations and recommendations.

Dr Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR emphasised on the judicious use of the resources to promote sustainability in the fruit production and enhancing the farmers’ income. The scope of Entrepreneurship development in the horticulture sector as it is the most vibrant sector in agriculture was underlined by Dr Singh.

Professor DP Ray, Chancellor, S‘O’A, Bhubaneswar, Odisha highlighted the importance of crop diversification owing to the prevalence of the different agro-climatic zones.

Dr PK Agarwal, Vice-Chancellor, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha outlined the importance of the post-harvest management including the processing and value-chain management in fruit crops for the development of the sector in the region.

Dr V Pandey, ADG (Horticultural Science), ICAR emphasised on the importance of the genetic diversity in fruit crops for the ecological sustainability and nutritional security.

The Scientists and Students from 23 Universities, 18 ICAR Institutes, FSSAI and IIP, Mumbai, Maharashtra participated in the Seminar.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research has organised

Sustainability

It will be the first landmark global event in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Thailand is hosting the International Horticultural Expo 2026 in Udon Thani, a northeastern province. It will be the first landmark global event in the Greater Mekong Subregion. The mega-event will be featuring the theme “Diversity of Life: Connecting Water, Plants, and People for Sustainable Living” driven by the ‘3S’ food and farming policy and BCG economic model of the government and SDGs of the United Nations.

At the annual general meeting 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) agreed to the Thai proposal in which International Horticultural Expo 2026 will be hosted in Udon Thani province during November 1, 2026 to March 14, 2027. The proposed theme is “Diversity of Life: Connecting Water, Plants, and People for Sustainable Living”, citing the site’s unique wetland area and the special connection between water, natural resources, and the people living in it. 

Presenting the proposal at the handover ceremony of the event to a new host destination was HE Dr Chalermchai Sree-on, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives,who was head of the Thai delegation.

According to Dr Chalermchai, Thailand is committed to contributing to the global food security through the ‘3S’ farming and food policy, focusing on Food Safety, Food Security, and Sustainability. This aims to fulfill the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals while adhering to the climate aspiration of the Paris Agreement. Such commitment can serve the theme and presentation of the Expo in Udon Thani and will help shed light on the sustainability issue, inspire and ignite collaboration on global actionable measures towards sustainability living with minimal cost to the ecosystem’.

Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), who represented Thailand in the official bid for the Expo, emphasised the government’s development strategy and national agenda to promote the Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model or BCG as a new development model that seeks to drive socio-economic growth while minimising and even reversing the negative impacts on the environment. The strategy will be of great contribution to Udon Thani International Horticultural Expo 2026.

The Udon Thani Expo 2026 is expected to cost 2,500 million baht in investment and attract 3.6 million visitors over 134 days during the expo.

It will be the first landmark global

AgroPolicy, Environment, Horticulture, Organic

Discussions were held on how to set a 10 per cent export share in the global fruits and vegetable market by 2030

India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai hosted a seminar on ‘Indian Organic and Horticulture Sector–Moving Up the Value Chain’ as part of the ongoing ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ at EXPO2020 Dubai.

The seminar, to deliberate on the opportunities and huge export potential that the Indian agriculture sector offers, saw participation from the representatives of the government and private sector.
In his opening remarks, PK Swain, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, said, “In ‘Rising India’, agriculture is a dominant sector which contributes significantly to the Indian economy. With 15 agro-climatic zones, rich soil, mineral-rich water, and is driving the volume, variety, and quality. India is on its way to becoming the food basket of the world and is offering both food and nutritional security with good agricultural practices to the world.”

Applauding the expansion of the sector in the country, Swain said, “India is scripting history with the enchanting growth trajectory of organic horticulture.” He also urged the global investors to invest in the agriculture supply chain and take advantage of FDI policies introduced by the government in the sector.

Dr B Rajendra, Minister (Agriculture), Embassy of India, Rome and Italy & Representative, FAO said, “We need to put a lot of effort in ensuring the quality of our organic horticulture produce and take advantage of such global platforms to expand our export avenues.”

Priya Ranjan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers welfare said, “To ensure the quality of our organic produce, we need to have a robust system of certification and the Government of India has anchored two systems of certification for the organic products.”

He further emphasised that appropriate phytosanitary protocols need to be ensured for better acceptability of Indian organic and horticultural products. “We envisage targeting 10 per cent export share in global fruits and vegetable market by 2030,” he added.

It is pertinent to point out that despite the pandemic, India’s organic exports grew 51 per cent over 2019-20 levels. India’s organic exports stood at 8,88,180 MT in 2020-21.

K Srinivas, Partner, Food & Agribusiness, KPMG, said, “India is ranked amongst the top ten exporting countries in agriculture and the overall exports have been growing at an extremely significant rate. Despite the pandemic challenges, we were able to achieve this feat and it strengthens India’s positioning as an exporter globally.”

Emphasising the export-focussed strategy for the promotion of organic and horticulture produce, Srinivas said, “This platform is helping us initiate conversation around awareness and capacity building with investors to make prominence of India in horticulture space. Adoption of good agriculture practices, enhanced farm gate infrastructure, higher investment in R&D, and digital integration are some of the strategies that will play important role in promoting India’s horticulture exports.”

The ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight will conclude on March 2.

Discussions were held on how to set

Acquaculture, AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Dairy, Horticulture, Middle East countries, Organic

The pavilion will display opportunities in horticulture, dairy, fisheries and organic farming

India will pitch to become the preferred sourcing partner for the global food processing industry during the fortnight at EXPO2020 Dubai and host various seminars and conferences to deliberate on ways to explore international collaborations and further strengthen its export potential.

The fortnight will showcase India’s prowess in sectors like food processing, horticulture, dairy, fisheries, and organic farming and the vast investment opportunities that it offers.

As part of the key theme – ‘Millets’, the fortnight will witness the millets food festival, the launch of Millets Book, and various seminars focusing on its health and nutritional benefits.

The sector is set to witness increased investment in agricultural infrastructures such as irrigation facilities, warehousing, and cold storage, with global consumption reaching the pre-pandemic level. The fortnight will also see the participation of several senior government officials from India who will be present during the various sessions. The ‘Food, Agriculture and Livelihood’ fortnight will conclude on March 2, 2022.

The pavilion will display opportunities in horticulture,

Agro chems – Pesticides, Horticulture

The move will help to combat increasing resistance and a wide range of insects and pests across horticulture

Syngenta Crop Protection has acquired two next generation bioinsecticides, NemaTrident and UniSpore, to combat increasing resistance and a wide range of insects and pests across horticulture and ornamentals, turf amenity and forestry, giving customers even greater choice.

Syngenta Crop Protection is acquiring the patents and trademarks for both NemaTrident and UniSpore, and the UniSpore registration dossier, and will have full global development and commercialisation rights for the assets. This is an important step in building a world-leading biologicals portfolio in Syngenta Professional Solutions, and opens the opportunity for expansion in biocontrol solutions for crop protection.

UniSpore is an innovation based on a naturally occurring microorganism (insect pathogenic fungus). It offers an exciting solution for vine weevil control in ornamentals, where growers across Europe have limited insecticide options. It is currently in the early registration process.

NemaTrident, a patented, insect pathogenic nematode solution, is an important addition to Syngenta Professional Solutions’ Turf portfolio and is particularly effective against leather jackets and other pests. The tri-component solution incorporates Nemaspreader, a biocompatible surfactant, that delivers market-leading efficacy. Already available to customers, NemaTrident is also used in horticulture and forestry to control several damaging insects.

Syngenta and Bionema have regular communications regarding novel formulations and new technologies.

The move will help to combat increasing

Floriculture, Horticulture

About 44 improved varieties in nine crops were recommended for the different agro-climatic zones of the country during the meeting

The ICAR-Directorate of Floricultural Research, Pune, Maharashtra recently organised 30th Annual Group Meeting of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on floriculture.

Dr Anand Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Science), ICAR marked his presence as the Chief Guest along with Dr Vikramaditya Pandey, ADG (Horticultural Science), ICAR and Dr BK Pandey, ADG (Horticultural Science), ICAR as the Guests of Honor during the occasion.

Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries, Dr KV Prasad, Director, ICAR-DFR & Project Coordinator, AICRP on Floriculture, Pune presented the Project Coordinators Report (a compilation of Salient Research Achievements of the Project during 2020-21) and the ATR.

About 44 improved varieties in nine crops were recommended for the different agro-climatic zones of the country during the meeting.

About 44 improved varieties in nine crops

Horticulture

Development of Horticulture at East Garo Hills, Meghalaya by NEC is working on to ensure employment opportunities for the villagers

To ensure direct and indirect employment opportunities to the villagers and nearby areas, North Eastern Council (NEC), under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) have implemented a project for Horticulture Development at Nokrek Region, East Garo Hills, Meghalaya through Department of Horticulture, Government of Meghalaya at a total cost of Rs 439.94 lakhs with State Contributing Rs 44 Lakhs out of the total project cost. The project got completed on March 4, 2020.

Development of Horticulture at East Garo Hills, Meghalaya by North Eastern Council (NEC) is working on to ensure employment opportunities for the villagers. 

The Project aims to provide direct and indirect employment to the villagers and surrounding areas. It is also believed that by implementing the multiple cropping method there would be increased in the intensity of the crops which would later yield better results by making land more fertile. The hi-tech green house and drip irrigation system will also be introduced in the area. The system will promote agriculture entrepreneurship, thereby, reducing series of middleman in marketing.

Development of Horticulture at East Garo Hills,