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Thursday / March 28. 2024
HomePosts Tagged "Tamil Nadu"

The Federation will soon take the number of mobile outlets from 50 to 100 and add atta, rice, and moong dal

National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF), a unit of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, has launched the ‘Bharat Dal’ brand in Tamil Nadu to sell high-quality pulses and rice to consumers at subsidised price. AASSAAN Global Trade has been appointed as the authorised distributor of Bharat Dal.

Currently, 50 mobile vans sell Bharat Dal brand chana dal directly to customers at main locations in towns and villages in each district. The number of mobile outlets will be increased to 100 and new items such as atta, rice, and moong dal will be added soon. 

This flagship initiative of NCCF aims to stabilise prices, curb food inflation, and augment domestic availability. Bharat Dal is already sold at various places in North India with an overwhelming response from consumers. 


To make pulses available to consumers at affordable prices, the Central Government is maintaining a buffer stock of five major pulses, namely, chana, tur, urad, moong and masur under the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF). The stocks from the buffer are released in the market in a calibrated and targeted manner to control prices. The chana dal, under this arrangement, is also made available to state governments for supplies under their welfare schemes, police, and jails, and also for distribution through the retail outlets of state government-controlled cooperatives and corporations. 

The Federation will soon take the number

Conclave to develop global guidelines for climate-resilient marine fisheries management 

Leading marine scientists, policymakers and high-ranking government officials from 16 regional fisheries bodies in the Indo-Pacific region covering 80 countries will gather in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu to discuss climate change in marine fisheries. The Three-day International Conclave on Mainstreaming Climate Change into International Fisheries Governance will be inaugurated by the Union Minister of Fisheries Parshottam Rupala on Tuesday at Welccomehotel, Kences Palm Beach, Mahabalipuram. 

Organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries, Govt. of India, and the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), the conclave seeks to develop guidelines for climate-resilient fisheries management and formulate strategies for the integration of climate change into international fisheries governance.

Dr L Murugan, Union Minister of State will deliver a special address and Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Union Secretary, Department of Fisheries will deliver the keynote address. India’s developmental, research and policy initiatives for climate-resilient marine fisheries will be presented during the inauguration of the conclave.  
The conclave will also feature a workshop exclusively to discuss India’s preparedness for adapting to climate change in marine fisheries. This workshop will encompass discussions on the current status of climate change impacts on marine fisheries in India, steps taken to address these impacts, gaps and limitations in knowledge and techniques, and actions needed in the short and long term. In addition, it will also feature presentations on cutting-edge research advancements in building climate resilience in the fisheries sector, preparedness of coastal communities, and knowledge sharing and capacity development for climate-proofing marine fisheries in the BOB region. 

“The Indo-Pacific Region comprises nearly half of the global oceanic area and accounts for about 70 per cent of global marine fisheries production. Fisheries in this region are small-scale in nature. This international conclave will help fishery experts in this region to develop strategies to address the challenges posed by climate change and build more resilient marine fisheries”, said Dr P Krishnan, Director, BOBP-IGO. 

 “The Indo-Pacific region is highly vulnerable to climate change, leading to adverse impacts on marine fisheries. These effects range from the increased frequency of extreme weather events to the threats of flooding, erosion, and sea-level rise. By fostering and executing strategies to adapt to climate change, this region can effectively safeguard the sustainable management of marine fisheries and the livelihoods of the millions of individuals who depend on them, Dr Krishnan said. 

Conclave to develop global guidelines for climate-resilient

The power plant, located in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, is expected to generate about 50.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited (Fourth Partner) signed a long-term loan of up to 1.2 billion Indian rupees (about $14.7 million) to construct and operate a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic-based power plant to increase clean and low-cost energy supply to commercial and industrial customers.

The power plant, located in Tirunelveli district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, is expected to generate about 50.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and will directly sell power to commercial and industrial users. India’s progressive open-access renewable energy policy allows a group of consumers to purchase electricity directly from an Independent Power Producer (IPP).

“Open access energy procurement can play an important role in businesses achieving their net zero emissions targets,” said Suzanne Gaboury, ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department Director General. “Solutions like this are being spearheaded by ADB to promote renewable energy across the region. This is ADB’s first direct financing to a renewable energy plant of this nature and is expected to crowd in international commercial financing to further decarbonize the commercial and industrial sector”.

Nearly 41,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year will be avoided through the plant, which would otherwise have been generated by conventional fossil fuel plants.

“We are excited to add ADB to our esteemed list of green financiers as we move closer to our 3.5 GW renewable energy target by 2025.  Fourth Partner is also constructing solar and wind parks across Ottapidaram, Tuticorin, and Nandikundu in Tamil Nadu,” said Vivek Subramanian, Fourth Partner Energy Co-Founder and Executive Director. “We see this project as the beginning of our long-standing partnership with ADB to deliver cleaner, affordable power to India’s commercial and industrial sector,”

The power plant, located in Tirunelveli district

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies are participating in Mega Plantation Drive for Oil Palm Cultivation to cover an area of roughly 7750 hectares

To increase the oil palm production area to 10 lakh hectares and boost the Crude Palm Oil production to 11.20 lakh tonnes by 2025-26, the Government of India launched National Mission for Edible Oils- Oil Palm in August 2021. In addition to the marked growth in the production of edible oils, the Mission is also successfully leading India towards an ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ by reducing the import burden. Under the Mission, the State Governments along with Oil Palm processing companies have initiated a Mega Oil Palm Plantation drive from 25th July 2023 to further increase oil palm cultivation in the country. Three major oil palm processing companies, namely, Patanjali Food Pvt. Ltd., Godrej Agrovet, and 3F are actively promoting and participating with the farmers in their respective states for record area expansion.

The Mega plantation drive commenced on 25th July 2023 and will continue till 12th August 2023. The major oil palm growing states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnataka, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh will be participating in this initiative.

The drive started on the 25th of July 2023 in the Rest of India (RoI) states i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Goa and Karnataka, and will continue till the 08th of August and will cover an area of almost 7000 hectares area out of which more than 6500 hectares is targeted to be covered by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

State Governments along with Oil Palm processing

The trials of MAK ADJOL Banana carried out at various places with different climatic conditions before as per the NRCB’s recommendations.

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., a leading provider in the energy sector, through their MAK Lubricants division introduced a revolutionary product in Agri Spray segment with the launch of MAK ADJOL Banana, an adjuvant for the fungicides used in Banana cultivation, in association in National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB).

The launch programme, held at Theni was graced by P. Sudhahar, Executive Director (Lubes), Debashis Ganguli, Chief General Manager P&AD (Lubes), S. Kannan, Head (Lubes), South and Thangavelu, Principal Scientist, NRCB, in presence of a large gathering of Farmers and business partners.

 P. Sudhahar, welcoming the dignitaries, thanked NRCB for supporting in trials of the product and helping in creating this product exclusively for Banana Farmers. He re-iterated BPCL’s commitment to the nation-building exercise whichever segment it may be. He also informed the participants about the recent launch of another similar product MAK ADJOL Tea for tea plantation.

Debashis Ganguli explained the benefits of the product asked the participants to make best use of it.

Speaking on the occasion Thangavelu highlighted the issues faced by Banana farmers, particularly leaf-spot disease that has the potential to destroy the crop causing severe hardships to all the stake holders involved. He appreciated BPCL’s efforts to collaborate with NRCB in finding a permanent solution to the problem. The product was tried out at various places with different climatic conditions before according the NRCB’s recommendations.

MAK ADJOL Banana can be mixed with water in the ratio of 1:100 along with the recommended dosage of fungicides. The adjuvant improves penetration thru waxy cuticles, increases wetting & spreading of droplets, and reduces evaporation rates, thus drastically improving the efficacy of the fungicides used. It is bio-degradable, environment -friendly, non-phytotoxic and fully safe to use.

The trials of MAK ADJOL Banana carried

Till date about 81 per cent more than the area covered during pre-PDMC 8 years

A National Workshop on Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) was organised by the Department of Agriculture& Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India discussed with the stakeholders the various approaches which can be adopted for increasing penetration of micro irrigation in the country. Participants from various Ministries/ Department of Central Government, States and UTs, Irrigation Industries, Startups working in the water management sector and Farmers Producer Organisations were present in the event.

Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) inaugurated the event. He emphasised the adoption of technologies in the implementation of the programmes and focused on enhancing micro-irrigation coverage and thereby increasing overall efficiency and water productivity of agriculture for ensuring the food and nutrition security of the country and incomes of the farmers, particularly in rainfed areas. Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, of the Department of Agricultural Research & Education (DARE) also addressed the inaugural session. He urged all participants to make efforts to adopt micro-irrigation on a large scale to reduce the water footprint of the agriculture sector.

Franklin L Khobung, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare explained in detail the Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) Scheme and the progress made so far. It was informed that the Department of Agriculture, Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) from  2015-16 in all the States of the country which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at the farm level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems. An area of 78 lakh ha has been covered under Micro Irrigation from 2015-16 to till date which is about 81 per cent more than the area covered during pre-PDMC 8 years. The Government has been focusing on increasing water productivity in agriculture and thereby sustainable agriculture and incomes of farmers. A Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF) with a corpus of Rs. 5000 Crore has been created with NABARD during 2018-19 with the major objective to facilitate the States in mobilising the resources to provide top-up/additional incentives to farmers for incentivising micro irrigation beyond the provisions available under Per Drop More Crop as well as innovative integrated projects including projects in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for expanding Micro-irrigation. A Budget announcement has been made to double the initial corpus of the Micro Irrigation Fund under NABARD, by augmenting it by another Rs. 5,000 crores.

During the programme, five Best Gram Panchayats from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were recognised for their efforts in high micro-irrigation adoption and best practices in the water management sector.

Till date about 81 per cent more

Nearly 500 mills have closed their operations, while 37 factories are still continuing with crushing, including 16 mills in Tamil Nadu and 15 units in Uttar Pradesh

The Indian Sugar Mills Association has cut the estimate to 32.8 metric tonnes from the earlier estimate Of 34 metric tonnes.

Nearly 500 mills have closed their operations, while 37 factories are still continuing with crushing, including 16 mills in Tamil Nadu and 15 units in Uttar Pradesh, against 116 mills that were in operation during the same period last year, indicating lower sugar production  Sugar production in the country dipped over 8 per cent to 32.1 million tonnes until May 15 in the current sugar season (October 2022-September 2023) against 34.92 metric tonnes in the previous season.

Nearly 500 mills have closed their operations,

CIBA-Plankton Plus is a value-added product developed from fish waste using a unique technology which helps in maintaining healthy phytoplankton and zooplankton bloom in shrimp.

ICAR-Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture,Chennai signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, Tamil Nadu for transferring the CIBA-Plankton Plus production technology on non-exclusive basis. CIBA-Plankton Plus is a value-added product developed from fish waste/trimmings using a unique technology which helps in maintaining healthy phytoplankton and zooplankton bloom in shrimp and fish culture ponds and also aids in efficient feed management.

Dr. Kuldeep K.Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA while signing the MoU stressed upon generating adequate data on the field performance of Plankton Plus in agriculture and horticulture crops. He complimented the VIT for recognising the technology and coming forward to sign the MoU.

Dr Debasis De, Principal Scientist, CIBA and team leader of this technology briefly explained the potential of CIBA-Plankton Plus in enhancing the aquaculture productivity.

Dr. Paul Man Singh, Senior Associate Professor, School of Agriculture, VIT was optimistic that they would develop entrepreneurship among the coastal farmers using this technology with the support of ICAR-CIBA.

A hands-on training on Plankton Plus production technology was also imparted to the students of VIT at the Fishwaste Processing Unit of CIBA, Chennai.

CIBA-Plankton Plus is a value-added product developed

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved the environmental permit for the project

Tagros has announced plans to expand its production capacity of pesticide technicals and pesticide intermediates at the Panchayankuppam SIPCOT Industrial Park in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. The project will cover an additional 5.50 acres.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved the environmental permit for the project, which is expected to commence in the first quarter of FY24, with completion scheduled for December 2024.

Tagros is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of agrochemicals and intermediates. The company mainly synthesises Pyrethroids insecticides and Triazole fungicides, in addition to all kinds of herbicides, pesticide intermediates and other special products.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate

The main objectives of Sagar Parikrama are to disseminate information on various fisheries-related schemes and programs being implemented by the government

Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, starts the Sagar Parikrama Phase-III from Hazira Port, Gujarat, and proceeds towards the coastal line of Maharashtra at Satpati, Vasai, Versova, and Parikrama will end at Sasson Dock, Mumbai.

The main objectives of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ are to facilitate interaction with fishermen, coastal communities and stakeholders so as to disseminate information on various fisheries-related schemes and programs being implemented by the Government; demonstrate solidarity with all fisher folk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholder as a spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, to promote responsible fisheries with focus on the sustainable balance between the utilisation of marine fisheries resources for food security of nation and livelihoods of coastal fisher communities and protection of marine ecosystems.

The journey of Sagar Parikrama focuses on the sustainable balance between the utilisation of marine fisheries resources for the food security of the nation and livelihoods of coastal fisher communities and the protection of marine ecosystems, to bridge the gaps of fisher communities, and their expectations, development of fishing villages, upgradation and creation of infrastructure such as fishing harbours & landing centres to ensure sustainable and responsible development through an ecosystem approach.

The Sagar Parikrama program is celebrated in all coastal States/UTs through a pre-decided sea route down right from Gujarat, Diu, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep Islands to have interaction program with fishermen, fisher communities and stakeholders in these locations to know the problems of Coastal Fisher folk. A holistic approach has been adopted to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of fishers and fishermen in rural areas and create more livelihood opportunities.

The main objectives of Sagar Parikrama are

Initiated by the Shellfish Fisheries Division, ICAR-CMFRI, it aims at restoring the depleted population of pearl oysters in the region.

Tuticorin Regional Station of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi sea-ranched 5 lakhs hatchery-produced pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata) spat of 5 mm size in select areas in the Gulf of Mannar. This stock replenishment measure was initiated by the Shellfish Fisheries Division, ICAR-CMFRI aimed at restoring the depleted population of pearl oysters in the region.

District Collector K. Senthil Raj inaugurated the sea ranching near ‘Tharaipaar’ close to Tsunami Nagar, Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.  This activity should enhance the livelihood of coastal fishers including fisherwomen in the coming years to uplift their social life. Also, two cages of different sizes with settled spat were deployed for the regular monitoring of sea-ranched pearl oyster spat for its growth at this location.

Tuticorin is popularly known as “Pearl City” as it was served as a capital of pearl production and trade centre since time immemorial until 1961 when the pearl fishery was completely banned by the Department of Fisheries for the protection of dwindling pearl oyster stocks. Tuticorin Regional Station of ICAR-CMFRI, due to the huge demand for marine pearls, had initiated research work on cultured pearl production and perfected the technology in 1973.

Local fishers of Thoothukudi district especially women fishers from Sippikulam village were trained by ICAR-CMFRI Scientists for the entrepreneurship development in pearl culture technique through funded research programmes. The hatchery produced spat can be raised as an adult and used for pearl culture. ICAR-CMFRI has done commendable work on sea ranching of pearl oyster spat in the paars earlier. However, regular fishing activities in the paar areas kept the population under control without attaining its healthy stock status.

At present, ICAR-CMFRI is planning to rejuvenate the pearl oyster stocks in the pearl oyster paars of Gulf of Mannar through its sea ranching programme. Close monitoring will be carried out to assess its survival and sustainability through dedicated research activities. During the programme, the fishers from the Tsunami colony, who are descendants of pearl fishers and presently engaged in chank fishery, shared their experience of their ancestors and expressed their interest in carrying out pearl culture activity with the support of the Tuticorin Regional Station of ICAR-CMFRI.

Initiated by the Shellfish Fisheries Division, ICAR-CMFRI,

The signing of this MoU with TNAU marks NLI’s first partnership in the ‘agri-tech’ space in India

NEC Laboratories India (NLI), an entity of NEC Corporation India – a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation has recently announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) to create newer solutions to resolve agricultural issues using analytics and AI. The signing of this MoU with TNAU marks NLI’s first partnership in the ‘agri-tech’ space in India.

Through this co-creation partnership, NEC aims to create a solution which helps identify major crop disease and deficiency categories, and provide appropriate remedies via Agri experts. NLI will develop a mobile app with AI/ML capability, while TNAU shall provide expert guidance and assist in data collection activity to detect diseases in this collaboration. By combining the best of both parties, early detection of disease onset through artificial intelligence can be achieved, and farmers will be able to take remedial actions promptly.

Dr Subramanian, Director of Research said, “India is a predominantly agricultural economy, and farmers today face a wide array of problems in the field that need to be addressed instantly. With the signing of this MoU, the university intends to use AI for the early detection of pests and diseases, and it is our honour to be joining hands with NEC Laboratories India and the NEC Group. Their decades of deep-tech expertise and problem-solving capabilities for both critical social problems, as well as industrial challenges, makes them an ideal technology partner for this endeavour.”

The signing of this MoU with TNAU

The Rs 227-crore programme will benefit over nine lakh farming families

MK Stalin, Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu launched the Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme. The programme is to be implemented for Rs 227 crore and will benefit over nine lakh farming families in 1,997 village panchayats across the state.

The programme will be implemented in all 12,525 village panchayats across Tamil Nadu in five years. It will be implemented by the Agriculture Department in close coordination with the Rural Development Department.

According to an official release, under this scheme, coconut saplings, home farming saplings, horticultural saplings, sprays needed for farming and kit for the vegetable garden will be distributed and a 100 per cent subsidy would be provided to Adi Dravida farmers for sinking wells in drylands, employ drip irrigation, to dig farm ponds, among others.

The Rs 227-crore programme will benefit over

A nano aquarium was also unveiled at the VGP Marine Kingdom

Anitha R Radhakrishnan, Minister for Fisheries & Animal Husbandry, Government of Tamil Nadu has launched the hatchery bred marine ornamental shrimps and nano aquarium at VGP Marine Kingdom, Chennai. The initiative has been introduced by the ICAR-National Bureau of Fisheries Genetic Resources (NBFGR), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and VGP Marine Kingdom, Chennai.

Radhakrishnan underlined the initiatives of the fisheries department for the betterment of the fishers of the state for improving their livelihood options. The minister appreciated the ICAR-NBFGR and VGP Marine Kingdom’s efforts on the new concept of Marine Nano Aquaria with the captive-raised shrimps.

Dr KK Lal, Director, ICAR-NBFGR, Lucknow outlined the bureau’s initiatives, the concept of community-based ornamental aquaculture and the need for collaborative involvement with the market leaders like the VGP Marine Kingdom.

VGP Ravidas, Managing Director, VGP Group stated about the VGP Marine Kingdom and the pioneering efforts in establishing the first oceanarium in the country at Chennai.

A nano aquarium was also unveiled at