DATE:20.11.2014

TNAUplanscommunityradiostationsatKVKsIn an effort to reach out to more farmers and members of thepublic, theTamilNaduAgriculturalUniversity (TNAU) isplanningtostartmorecommunityradiostations.The university has written to the Ministry of Information andBroadcasting seekingpermission to start six such stationsat theKrishi Vigyan Kendras in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiiruvarur,Nagapattinam,PudukottaiandVirudhunagardistricts.TheapplicationwassentmorethanamonthagoandtheMinistrywasconsideringthesame,sourcessaid.FundOncesanctioned, thevarsitywould requireRs.90 lakh tosetupthestations.ItplannedtosecureRs.65lakhunderthe‘AgricultureTechnology Management Agency’ fund and was working out tomeet the balance amount and also the operational cost thatincludedsalaryandcontentcreationexpenses.Theradiostationswould help in content sharing and bring in variety intoprogrammes.At present the university had only one station on its campus inCoimbatorecateringtolistenerswithina20kmradius,thesourcessaid.ProgrammesSince December 2010, the community radio station had beenairing programmes for four hours a day – between 10 a.m. andnoon and 2 and 4 p.m., repeating the programme in the secondtransmission,saidN.Koma,whomanagesthestation.Thetwo-hourprogrammeincludesinterviewswithleadingfarmers,entrepreneurs, transmission of success stories, inputs fromexperts on crop and pest management. Her team had roped instudentstohosttheprogramme.C.Karthikeyan,faculty,AgricultureExtensionandRuralSociologysaid the students would undergo a course in ‘Development

Communication’forwhichtheywouldvisittheradiostationtolearnaboutitsfunctioning.B.Tech.studentA.M.ShenazParvinsaidthatthe25programmesshehadhosted in theradiostation inher twoyearsofstudyhadgivenherexperiencethatshecouldnotgetinclassrooms.“Ihavelearnttoimprovemycommunication,makeitsimpleanddirectandencouragethegueststotalkmore.”T.ShanmugamofVellaloresaidthathewasmakinggooduseoftheideasonbeerearingandmushroomcultivationtomultiplyhisincome.He’sadailywageratamillhereandwashookedontothestationonlyamonthago.

‘Avoidindiscriminateuseofpesticides’Indiscriminateuseofpesticideshaspotentialtoaffectthehealthoffarmers and consumers because of residual toxicity of them infood products, said J. Diraviam, Director, Krishi Vigyan Kendra,Karur.Speaking at one-day training on Integrated Pest Management,organisedbyKVKhereonTuesday,hesaidthetendencyofusingabnormallevelofpesticidesshouldbeshunned.ThefarmersshouldswitchovertoIntegratedPestManagementbygettinginputsfromofficialsconcerned.Explaining the concept of IPM and its need, he said variousmethods were available for pest management such as cultural,mechanical, regulatory, biological, botanical, and chemicalmethods.If farmers used themethods, theywould facilitate them to applychemicals only at optimum level, therebypreventing toxicity.Thefarmersshouldusethelesstoxicpesticidesonlyasalastresort.TheAssistantDirectorofHorticulture,KarurMuniyandi,sharedhisexperience in themanagement of papayamealy bug on tapiocausingparasitoid.A.Parthiban,NABARDAssistantGeneralManager, inhisspecialaddress encouraged the farmers to adopt IPM measures forsafeguardingtheenvironment.Lead District Manager S.M Murugesan, Indian Overseas BankRural Self Employment Training Institute Director Dhamayanthi,

and D. Dinakaran, Professor (Plant Pathology), HorticulturalCollegeandResearchInstituteforWomen,Tiruchi,spoke.About 120 participants participated in the training programme. Itwas organised keeping in mind the need for judicious use ofpesticides under the context of the hazards connected with theoveruseofchemicalpesticides."Farmers should switch over to Integrated PestManagement"

WeeklybazaarformarketingIntegrated Livestock Producers Association (ILPA), a registeredsociety of KVK, Kancheepuram has initiated a revolutionarymarketing concept of “Rainbow weekly bazaar” for marketingagriculturalandlivestockproduce.ThefarmersofKancheepuramDistrictaftertheskillbasedtrainingventuredintoagricultureandalliedenterprisesbutfounditdifficulttomarkettheirproduceindividually.RegisteredassociationHencetheyjoinedtogethertoformaregisteredAssociationsoasto facilitate themselves and fellow farmers in production and tomarkettheirproduceunderoneumbrellaandisthefirstofitskindin thestatewhereina farmers’associationhas joinedhandswithKVKtomarketthefarmers’produce.Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kattupakkam, Kancheepuram District isfunctioning under the administrative control of Tamil NaduVeterinary and Animal Sciences University and has providedadequatespaceatATICcampus,Kattangulathurforthefarmerstoputupstallsanddisplaytheirproduceandproductsforsale.Intheinitialphase,30farmershadcontributedRs.5,000eachtosetuptemporarystallsattheBazaartomarkettheirproduce.A project proposal has been submitted to NABARD for erectingstallswithadequateinfrastructure.Boostmorale“This set upwill boost themorale of the farmers , entrepreneursand rural youth to involve in agricultural and livestockproductionaggressively. The main objective of the bazaar is to facilitate

marketing of agricultural, livestock produce and value addedproducts of farmers directly to the consumers/fellow farmerswithout middlemen’s involvement.” says Dr. P. Kumaravel,ProfessorandHeadKrishiVigyanKendra,Kattupakkam.ThemarketattheKVK–ATICcampusKattangulathurwillfunctioneverySaturdayfrom6.00a.mto6.00p.m.Awiderangeofagriculturalandlivestockproductswillbeavailableforsale.For details interested persons can contact the office of theProgramme Coordinator & Professor and Head, Krishi VigyanKendra, Kattupakkam, Kanchipuram District, phone: 044 –27452371, email: kvkkpm@yahoo.co.in and Mr. L. Ramesh,Secretary,(ILPA),Phone::8939963163/8925634947.

Mobilesoi l testingunitA mobile soil testing unit of agriculture department will visitSuchindram town panchayat office on November 24, AgricultureExtension Centre at Vazhukkamparai on November 25, Therurpanchayat office on November 26, Azhagappapuram panchayatoffice on November 27 and Samithoppu panchayat office onNovember28,accordingtoapressrelease.

Farmvarsity init iat iveIn an effort to reach out to more farmers and members of thepublic, theTamilNaduAgriculturalUniversity (TNAU) isplanningtostartmorecommunityradiostations.The university has written to the Ministry of Information andBroadcasting seekingpermission to start six such stationsat theKrishi Vigyan Kendras in Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiiruvarur,Nagapattinam,PudukottaiandVirudhunagardistricts.TheapplicationwassentmorethanamonthagoandtheMinistrywasconsideringthesame,sourcessaid.Oncesanctioned, thevarsitywould requireRs.90 lakh tosetupthestations.—StaffReporter

Governor inaugurates three-day Krishi Mela ofUAS-B

AladyarrangingmilletsattheOrganicFarmingstallduringtheinaugurationof'KrishiMela'atGandhiKrishiVijnanaKendra.TheMelawasorganisedbytheUniversityofAgriculturalSciences(UAS-B)onNovember19,2014.Photo:V.SreenivasaMurthy.

Aboutfivelakhfarmersareexpectedtovisitthethree-dayeventGovernorVajubhaiRudabhaiValaonWednesdayinauguratedthethree-day Krishi Mela of the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bangalorehere,withacallforbuildingawater-gridonthelinesofpowergridtoeffectivelyreachwaterfromriverstofarmers’fields.He stressed the need for treating each farm as an individualwatershedforeffectiveutilisationofrainwater.Healsocalleduponfarmerstoadoptthebestpracticesfromacrossthecountry.Speakingontheoccasion,MinisterofStateforAgricultureKrishnaByreGowda told farmers that the governmentwas committed tobailingoutfarmersfromcrisisthroughmarket-interventionschemeasandwhenthepricesofcropscrashed.This year’s Mela, which is focussing on water conservation andeffectiveutilisationofwater inagriculturewitha themeof –morecropperdrop–isshowcasingvariouswater-savingtechnologiesinagriculture.

Aboutfivelakhfarmersareexpectedtoattendthethree-dayeventthathas600stallsbyvariouscompaniesandresearchinstitutionsbesides a national exhibition on farm machinery, according toActingVice-chancellorD.P.Kumar.

Over3,000tonnesoffert i l izersarriveinNellai

Farmersfromfourdistrictswillbenefit,saysofficialInabidtoincreasecropyieldandfacilitatefarmers,aconsignmentof3,074tonnesoffertilizersarrivedhereonWednesday.The consignment of fertilizers of Krishak Bharati CooperativeLimited (KRIBHCO) was despatched from Surat and Kakinadathrough train. Farmers of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Kanyakumari andVirudhunagardistrictswouldbenefit, JointDirectorofAgriculture,C.Chandrasekar,Tirunelveli,toldTheHindu.Ofthisconsignment,1,000tonneshadbeenallottedtofarmersinTirunelveli district and another 1,000 tonnes for Tuticorin district.Hesaid1,500moretonnesoffertilizersofIndianFarmersFertilizerCooperativeLimited(IFFCO)wereexpectedtoarriveinaday.The fertilizers would be despatched to primary agriculture creditsocieties across the Tirunelveli district and provided to farmers,who had been confident of raising crops with the considerableamountofrainfall.Totally, 163 primary agriculture credit societies are functioningacross the district. A bag of 150 kg of fertilizerwould be sold atRs.270.50throughsuchsocietiesandofficialswouldbeinvolvedincarefullymonitoringthedelivery.To offset the escalating price of fertilizers in private outlets, theState government was extending this facility at regular intervalsduringmonsoon.Pulseswouldbecultivatedon19,000ha,millets,mostlymaize,on7,500haandcottonon4,000ha.Mr. Chandrasekar said the district recorded its annual averagerainfallafterarecordof1028.65mm.Duringlastyear,theaveragerainfallof814.8mmwassurpassedwitharecordof889.13mm.

InTuticorindistrict,theaverageannualrainfallwas662.2mmanditreceivedover550mmofrainfallsofarthisyear,JointDirectorofAgricultureN.K.Dhakshinamoorthysaid.InOctober, the rainfallwas294.4mmasagainst theaverageof150.7 mm. So far, 53.3 mm rainfall had been recorded inNovember,whichhadanaveragerainfallof184mm,hesaid.

Rs. 67 cr. disbursed as crop loan by AriyalurPACSAsumofRs.67.78crorehasbeendisbursedascroploanby64Primary Agriculture Co-operative Credit Societies (PACCS) inAriyalurdistricttillOctoberthisyear.ThePACCShavedistributedRs.2.39croreasmedium-termloan,Rs.141.76croreasjewelleryloan,andRs.5.93croreforself-helpgroups,saidA.Saravanavelraj,districtCollector,onWednesday.Speaking at the 61{+s}{+t}All India Co-operative Weekcelebrations at Ariyalur, the Collector said there were 84 co-operativesocietiesunderthecontrolofRegistrarofCo-operativesin Ariyalur district. There were 166 Milk Producers Co-operativeSocieties, seven housing co-operatives, and 29 weavers co-operativesocieties.The Collector distributed shields to co-operative banks andsocietiesfortheirbestperformance.HedistributedRs.42.02lakhto96personsasmediumtermloanandRs.1.27croreasloantowomenself-helpgroups.Hedistributedprizestostudentswhowon incompetitionsheld inconnectionwiththeco-operativeweekcelebrations.

KAUtoreducefeeforscreeningvegetables

TosetuptwonewlabstofacilitateanalysisofsamplesKeralaAgriculturalUniversity(KAU)hasinformedthegovernmentof itswillingness to reduce the fee for screening vegetables andfruitsat itsstate-of-the-art laboratoryhere todetect thepresenceof pesticide residue. The Pesticide Residue Research andAnalysis Laboratory functioning at the College of Agriculture,

Vellayani, will take up the screening of samples provided by thenewauthoritytobeconstitutedbythegovernmenttokeepatabonpesticidecontaminationinfruitsandvegetablesbroughtfromotherStates.TheKAUhaswelcomed thegovernment initiative to formthe authority to keep vigil on pesticide content in vegetablesbroughtfromotherStates.SupportpromisedPointing out that the periodic reports furnished by the laboratoryhadhelpedenhancepublicawarenessofthehazardouspesticidecontent invegetablesand fruitsavailable in themarket, theKAUsaid ithadagreed to reduce the fee forsamplescollectedby theauthority and provide maximum support to the authority. Thedecision was communicated to the government at a high-levelmeeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here onTuesday.· Welcomes move to form authority to keep vigi l onpesticidecontent invegetables ·KAU’sVellayani lab is theonlyNABL-accreditedpublicsector labinState

Attractingyouthtoagricultureatask: Sreenath Dixit, director of the Indian Council of AgriculturalResearch’s Southern Zone Project Directorate, has urgedscientistswith theKrishiVigyanKendra toenhance thequalityoftechnologytransfer.Addressing an orientation programme for scientists with KVKsfrom southern States here on Tuesday, he said the KVK’sinitiatives had been effective because it created location-specifictechnologiesandtrainedfarmersinadoptingthem.“The needs of farmers should guide research activities in KVKs.Scientists should try to see matters from the point of view offarmers,”hesaid.“Attracting youth to agriculture is the foremost challenge beforefarmscientists.Youthwilltakeupfarmingonlyifitisremunerative.Let us recall the example set by Varghese Kurien. He inspired

rural milk producers and triggered a white revolution. If anengineerwithhardlyanyknowledgeindairytechnology,butarmedwith tremendous will power, could do this, why cannot we,agriculturalscientists,triggerarevolutioninthefields?”heasked.Experts root for decentral ised solar powergeneration

Decentralisation of solar power generation emerged as asignificantsuggestion fromthespeakersataseminaron ‘EnergySecurity in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh—Realities and WayForward’, jointly organised by Banjara Development Society,CARPED,andHumanRightsForumonWednesday.Activist and retired IAS officer E. A. S. Sarma noted that solarenergy is being centralised,with establishment of plants ofmorethan500MWcapacitiesintheoffing.Instead,promotingrooftoppanelswouldreduceTransmissionandDistributionlosses,besidescuttingcosts.K. Raghu, representing the People’s Monitoring Group onElectricity Regulation (PMGER), said solar energy is ideal foragriculturalconsumption,asthehoursofusageareless.Further, it rules out fuel problem, pollution, and T&D losses ifdecentralised. Mr. Sarma debunked the Central government’sclaimaboutenormouscoal reserves in thecountry,andcited theCentralMinePlanning&Design InstituteLimited (CMPDIL)data,tosaythattheextractablecoalwillnotlastformorethan15years.Heaccusedgovernmentoflackingintellectualhonesty.“Destructivepolit ics”M. Venugopal Rao from the Centre for Power Studies spokeagainst the “destructive politics” and faulted the Centralgovernment of delaying a solution to the power issues betweenbothStates.HesuggestedcancellationofPPAsandallocationofadditionalquotatoTelanganafromcentralpool.Vice-presidentofAkhilaBharataKisanSabhaS.MallaReddycalledattentiontotheplightoffarmers,andsaid341farmershavecommittedsuicideinTelanganatilldate.

“Farmersdonotneed freepower. Justgive thempowersupply,”he urged, and suggested infrastructural strengthening andappointment of linemen. He accused both governments ofresortingtodiversionarytacticsastheycannotfulfil theirelectoralpromises.K. Raghu, who is also coordinator of TEEJAC, said theTelangana’sshareof54.89percent fromallPPAs is in termsofgeneratingcapacities,andnotmerelytheactualpowerproduced.Expertscal l forstatutorytestingofvegetables:Adayafter thegovernmentdeclared its intention tocrackdownonsaleofunsafevegetablesintheState,expertshavecalledforrealisticmeasuressuchasregularstatutorysamplecollectionandtesting as well as steps to trace vegetables sold in the State totheirorigin.AnofficialfamiliarwiththedevelopmentsonTuesdaysaidthetestresultscannotbeobtainedquickenough toprevent thesaleofaparticular consignment of vegetables. Sure-fire tests take four tofive days. The best way, therefore, to ensure safe vegetables intheState is togoback to theiroriginsand takepreventiveactionwiththecooperationofthefarmersconcerned.Oncesamplesfromaconsignmentarefoundtobecontaminated,itispossibletotakethehelpof theSalesTaxesDepartment to trace thewholesalersandsubsequentlythefarmers,theofficialsaid.An official at KeralaAgriculturalUniversity said themost seriousproblems lay with a few items of vegetables such as curry,coriander andmint leaves, carrot, cauliflower, green chillies andcapsicum.ThesevegetablesaremostlygotfromtheneighbouringStates.AmongvegetablesproducedintheState,redamanranthusand vegetable cow pea pose the most serious problems ofpesticidecontamination.It is learnt that theFoodSafetyandStandardsAuthority of India(FSSA) has launched collection of statutory samples ofvegetables. As a first measure, coriander leaf samples werecollected in Kochi lastweek, FSSA sources said. They said thatsamples of more vegetables would be collected in the comingdays.

Traders inTamilNaduandKochiareguarded in their reaction tothe government decision to take stern action against sale ofpesticide-contaminatedvegetablesintheState.

Forum welcomes govt. move to test vegetablesforpesticidesPokkali Samrakshana Samithi has welcomed the government’smove to test vegetables sourced from other States for pesticidecontamination.The forum has also demanded measures to protect the pokkalifieldswhereorganicfarminghasbeenundertakenovertheyears.FrancisKalathungal,generalconvenerof the forum,said that theorganic mode of farming that was being practiced was mostlylabour-intensive and provided a major source of income forwomen.Mr.Kalathungalsaidcertainlobbiesresponsibleforsabotagingthe‘one paddy, one fish’ scheme of the government. Very little wasbeingdonetopreventtheintrusionofsalinewater,therebymakingpaddyandvegetablecultivationsdauntingtasks.Suchareaswerebeing subjected to excessive fish farming for vested interests.Attempts were being made by certain sections to mislead thepublicbypropagatingthefalsehoodthat farmingwasno longeraprofitable endeavour.As a result, the pokkalimode of cultivationfaced the threat of goingextinct andwasbeingpractisedonly inthecoastalareasofAlappuzha,ErnakulamandThrissur.Thesituationhadresulted in the lossofasourceof livelihoodfortens of thousandsandagriculturalworkers and fishermen. Largevarietiesofvegetablesincludingcowpea,ridgegourd,cucumber,lady’s finger, snake gourd and bitter gourd used to be cultivatedorganically in large quantities in pokkali fields. The forum alsourged the government to learn from themistakes caused by thesystem of mono-crop cultivation, which has resulted inenvironmentalandother impactsthatwerebeingseen inPunjab.The caution raised by noted agriculture scientist K.G.Padmakumar in this regard must be considered with greatimportance,theysaid.

Cupofwoesforteasectoraspricesfal l WiththecurrentaveragepriceofsouthIndianteadownbynearly16percentcomparedtothesameperiodlastyear,stakeholdersinthe tea sector have appealed to the Union and the Tamil Nadugovernmentstotakeimmediatemeasurestorectifythesituation.The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI)organised a meeting here on Wednesday of producers, smallgrowersandworkers in the teasector inKerala,TamilNaduandKarnatakatodiscusstheproblemsfacedbythesector.Vijayan Rajes, UPASI president, told presspersons after themeeting that the prices are down mainly because ofoverproductionlastyearincountriessuchasKenya,SriLankaandChina.In south India too, production between January and Septemberthisyearwas178.3millionkgasagainst171.9millionkg for thesame period last year. Tea prices started falling since April thisyear.TheaveragepricelastyearwasRs.101.88akganditisRs.84.96 a kg now. However, production cost ranged between Rs.105 and Rs. 120 a kg, depending on the yield and tea garden.Exportsfromthesouthhavealsodeclinedslightlythisyear,hehassaid.SouthIndianteaqualityissimilartothatofKenya.The stakeholders have decided to appeal to the Centre to re-constitute and appoint a full-time chairman for theTeaBoard sothat the issues faced by the sector can be represented.Subsidyamounts under several schemes for the sector should also bereleasedimmediately.BuyersintheU.S.orEuropeanUnioninsiston certifications. The Centre should insist in its talks with thesecountries that the cost of certification should be shared by thebuyerstoo.TheKeralaandKarnatakagovernmentsshouldabolishtheagriculturalIncomeTaxandthevalueaddedtaxonteashouldbereducedtoonepercentinTamilNadu,hesaid.·AveragepriceofsouthIndianteadownbyabout16% ·SouthIndianteaqualityakintothatofKenya UPASIchiefputs it tooverproductionlastyear inKenya,SriLanka,China

Celebration starts, but level stands at 141.65 ftofMullaperiyardam

TheHinduThePeriyardamatThekkadi.Cumbum Valley farmers started their grand celebration onWednesday,thoughthelevelintheMullaperiyardamdidnottouchthe 142-foot mark, owing to the absence of rainfall in thecatchments.Itstoodat141.65feet.A section of MDMK workers burst crackers at the Penny CuickMemorial and party general secretary Vaiko, alongwith farmers,garlanded the statue of the architect of the dam and sprinkledflowersinthePeriyarneartheLowerCamp.Healsodistributedsweetstothepublicandexchangedgreetings.Hundreds of Kerala policemen were deployed at the KumulicheckpointtopreventthemovementofpeoplefromTamilNadutothedam.Policemen were posted on the roadside at all vantage points atChinnamanur,Uthamapalayam,CumbumandGoodalur.

AhelpinghandforfarmersMoved by the plight of the farmers, a Singapore-basedentrepreneur, Amita Dholakia Choudhary, has come forward toextendinterestfreeloanstothem.IncollaborationwiththeMumbai-based‘GiveIndia’andlocalNGO‘SarvodayaYouthOrganisation’,sheproposestogiveRs.50,000interest-freeloanto40farmersinWarangaldistrict.SarvodayasecretaryP.Damodarsaidthefarmerswouldutilisethemoney to buy sheep, cattle and other income generatingproperties. The identification of genuine farmers in Atmakur,GeesukondaandSangemmandalsison,hesaid.

Health Minister’s assurance pushes up arecanutprices

‘There is no move to ban production, sale of chewingtobacco’The arecanut prices, which had recently slumped, are nowrecovering, thanks to the State government promising not toimpose a ban on the production and sale of chewing tobacco,Kankodi Padmanabha, president of the Central Arecanut andCocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd. (CAMPCO),hassaid.At present, a major chunk of arecanut is consumed along withtobacco. The move to ban chewing tobacco had resulted in aslump in arecanut prices in the second week of November. Adelegation of members of cooperative societies of arecanutgrowersunderCAMPCOhadmetMinister forHealthandFamilyWelfare U.T. Khader and Minister for Law and ParliamentaryAffairsT.B.Jayachandra recentlyand requested themnot tobanchewingtobaccotoprotecttheinterestsoffarmersengagedinthecultivationoftobaccoandarecanut.Theduorespondedpositivelytotherequest.Followingthis,thearecanutpriceswererecovering,hesaidatapressconferencehereonWednesday.

Aslakhsoffarmerswerecultivatingtobacco,thebanshouldcomein phases, after providing them suitable financial help to shift toothercrops,hesaid.Mr. Padmanabha said the CMPCO members had met UnionMinisterforCommerceNirmalaSeetharamanandrequestedhertoimposeacompletebanontheimportofarecanut,andtheministerrespondedpositively.Thebanwould fetch remunerativeprice forlocalarecanutvarieties,hesaid.Vice-president of the Malnad Arecanut Marketing CooperativeSocietyNarasimhaNaikwaspresent.· ‘The prices had started fal l ing after State governmentresolvedtobanchewingtobacco’ ·Needtoenforcethebanonchewingtobaccoinphaseshighlighted

ArrangementsforpaddyprocurementThe district administration has made arrangements to procure80,000metric tonnesofpaddyat81paddyprocurementcentres,saidin-chargeCollectorB.RamaRaosaidonWednesday.Oftheprocurementcentres,SHGswereallotted61andtheremainingtoPACS. ‘A’gradevarietypaddywillbeprocuredatRs.1,400andnormalvarietyatRs.1,360perquintal.Hesaidacontrolroomwithmobilephonenumber9963479145wasopenedat theCollector’sOffice to address problems of farmers during procurement. Heappealedtofarmersnottodependonmiddlemen.

Need-basedcropsensureincreasedrevenueAnexposurevisitorganisedbytheDepartmentofHorticulturehascomeinhandyforthesmallfarmers,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.Horticulturecropshaveturnedouttobeaviablesourceofincomegeneration for rural farmers in the district after monsoon let theagriculturistsdownforthepastfiveyears.One of the successful small farmers S. Samuel fromKazhuneerkulam in Alangulam block in the district is cultivatingmango on about half an acre, curry cucumber (‘sambar vellari’)andsnakegourdon2acresunderdripirrigationaftergetting100per cent subsidy from the Horticulture Department and mint(‘pudhina,’ Mentha virides), a spicy green with strong pleasantodour in leavesandstemsmainlyused for flavouring food items,onanacre.Till‘thaipattam’(January),hegetsrevenuefrommint,followedbycurry cucumber and snake gourd from April to May. From Juneonwards,hegetsrevenuefromMango.“It’s this style of cultivation that fetches good revenue as hecultivatescropsbasedonmarketneeds.Theexposurevisitbecameaneye-openerforthisfarmer,”saidMr.Mohamed,whovisitedthe‘smart’farmer’sholdingrecently.“Now,IgetRs.1,000to1,200everydaythroughselling30to40kgofmintleavesattherateofRs.30perkgatAlangulammarket.I canmaintain ‘pudhina’ for more than a year. Hence, I get thisrevenueup to ‘thaipattam.’By that time,mycurrycucumberwillbereadyforharvest,”saysMr.Samuel.

Farmersf indagoodalternativeinKasturiBendaThe cultivation of Kasturi Benda (Abelmoschus moschatus)medicinal plant is steadily gaining popularity among farmers,particularly those who are vexed with the monkey menace and‘unviableconventionalfarming’.Several enterprising farmers have been cultivating themedicinalherb inKallur,Enkuranda fewothermandals in thedistrictoverthe last fewyears.Theircommerciallysuccessful farmingventurepromptedotherfarmerstotakeupthecultivationofKasturiBenda,the seed of which is used in the preparation of some traditionalmedicineandintheperfumeindustry.

N. Rama Krishna, a farmer of Botlakunta village in Konijerlamandal, switched over to Kasturi Benda cultivation in June thisyear,aftersufferingaseriesof losses incottoncultivationdue todrought-likeconditionsandthemonkeymenace.“Aftermybitterexperiencewithcottonandmaizecultivationinthepast,IcultivatedKasturiBendaintwoacresundertheguidanceofaveteranfarmerofKallurmandal,”saidRamaKrishna.“Now,monkeys don’t venture intomy field as they dislike eatingthisparticularvarietyofmedicinalherb,”heremarked,addingthatheisexpectinganaverageyieldof300to400kgperacre.Iamalsohopefulofanassured incomeofat leastRs.80,000 toRs. 1 lakh in viewof a buybackarrangementwith aKarnataka-basedfirm,hesaid.“TheKasturiBendaseed is used in thepreparationof traditionalmedicinefortreatingnervousdisorders,includinghysteria,”saidJ.Marianna,HorticulturalOfficer,Khammam.Theflowers,roots,leaves,stemandbarkofthemedicinalherbarealsoinhighdemand,hesaid.

India t ight- l ipped on the issue ofhydrofluorocarbons

Asthedebateisstillon,abreakthroughishighlyunlikelyas oil producing gulf countries oppose the U.S.-ledproposalIndia did not clearly spell out its position on the issue ofhydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) during a keyUN conference here asnationsdebatedwhether tosetupacontactgroup fordiscussingtheproposedamendmenttotheMontrealProtocoltophasedowntheharmfulgreenhousegas.

As nations debated pro and cons of the issue, India neithersupported nor opposed it and instead merely read out a joint-bilateral statement on HFCs signed by Prime Minister NarendraModiandU.S.PresidentBarackObamaduringtheirWhiteHousesummitonSeptember30.

Whencontacted,Indianofficialsknowntothedevelopmentpointedout that itwasdone to “clarify” thecountry’sstandafterCanada,while moving the amendment, referred to “a change” in India’sapproachontheissue.

India’s unclear stand has irked the green groups attending theconference.

“I can’t understand why a bilateral deal was read out in amultilateral forum,” climate expert and deputy director general ofCentreforScienceandEnvironment,ChandraBhushan,said.

OntheopeningdayoftheconferenceonNovember17,Indiahadnot opposed to participate in discussing on the agenda on theissue of harmful greenhouse gas under UnitedNationsMontrealProtocolonozonedepletingsubstances.

As thedebate isstillon,abreakthroughon the issueofHFCs ishighlyunlikelyasoilproducinggulfcountriesparticipatinginakeyUNconferenceherecontinuedtheirstrongoppositiontotheU.S.-led nations’ proposal to amend the Montreal Protocol to phasedowntheharmfulgreenhousegas.

During the debate yesterday, oil producing Gulf nations led bySaudiArabiaandKuwaitopposedtosettingupacontactgrouponthe issue, arguing that theMontreal Protocol does not have themandatetodealwiththegreenhousegas.

They said that the issue should be discussed under the UnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange(UNFCCC).

Montreal Protocol is a UN treaty signed in 1987 to ban ozone-depleting substances like chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) andhydrochloroflurocarbons (HCFCs), which were used inrefrigeratorsandairconditioners.

HFCswere brought into replace the ozone-depleting substancesbut it was proved later that the ozone friendly gas has a potentwarmingeffect.

During the past six conferences, it was India which had led theGulfStatestoblocktheuseoftheMontrealProtocoltophaseoutHFCs.

ThechangeinIndianstandcomesinthewakeofajointIndo-USstatement on HFCs this year under which both the nations hadagreedtodiscusstheharmfulgreenhousegasundertheMontrealProtocol.TheGulfcountriesarguedthattherewerenoalternativestoHFCs.

Sensing that evolving a consensus on setting up of a contactgroup isnoteasy, theU.S.proposed tosettingupofan informalgroup to discuss the mandate of the contact group and not todiscusstheamendmentproposal.

China said that the Montreal Protocol has a role to play andeveryoneshouldworkonconsensus.

LowVitaminDlevelsmayleadtoearlydeath

VitaminDdeficiencycanalsoresultinvariousotherdiseasesleadingtoanearlydeath,researchshows.

VitaminDdeficiencyisnotjustbadforyourbonehealth,it

can also result in various other diseases leading to anearlydeath,researchshows.

Thestudybasedonexaminationofgeneshasestablished

forthefirsttimeacausalrelationshipbetweenlowVitaminDlevelsandincreasedmortality,theresearchersclaimed.

“We can see that genes associated with low Vitamin D

levels involve an increased mortality rate of 30 percentand,morespecifically,a40percenthigherriskofcancer-

related deaths,” said Shoaib Afzal, medical doctor at

Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital inDenmark.

“An important factor in our study is that we have

establishedacausalrelationship,”Afzaladded.When the sun shines on our skin, the skin produces

VitaminD.Evidencesuggeststhatsunshinehasapositive

effect on our health, but sunburns must be avoided astheyincreasetheriskofskincancer.

A diet rich in Vitamin D or the intake of Vitamin D

supplementscanalsocoverourneedtosomeextent.The study involved 96,000 people from large-scale

populationstudiesinDenmark.

Vitamin D levels were measured using blood samplesfrom the studies, and specific genetic defects were

examined.Allparticipantswerefollowedformortalityfrom

1976until2014.“Our study shows that low Vitamin D levels do result in

higher mortality rates,” Borge Nordestgaard from

UniversityofCopenhagensaid.

Fibre-richdiethelpsyouloseweight

Certain fibres contained in prepared foods such ascereals,cerealbars,bakingmixes,anddrinksmaycause

ashift towardsbeneficialbacteria in thegutandassist in

weight loss when made part of a long-term, daily diet,saysanewresearch.

The researchers focused on two fibres – polydextrose,

which is a common fibre food additive and soluble cornfibre.

“We need more fibre in our diets from lots of different

sources,” said Hannah Holscher from the University ofIllinoisintheUS.

“These two fibres look like theycouldbebeneficialwhen

includedinabalanceddietalongwithwholegrains,fruits,vegetablesandlegumes,”Holscheradded.

Theresearchersfoundthatthereweresignificantshiftsin

the gut bacterial populations with fibre supplements and

whenthesupplementswerestoppedpopulationsseemed

togobacktowheretheywerebefore.What wasmost surprising and novel in the recent study

was a shift in the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes ratio towards

more Bacteroidetes, something the researchers had notviewedpreviously.

“This was of particular interest to us because other

research works have shown that having moreBacteroidetesmay be beneficial because the higher that

proportionis,theindividualtendstobeleaner.Withhigher

Firmicutes, that individual tends to be more obese,”Holschersaid.

The researchers used whole-genome sequencing to

explore the full rangeof bacterial genomic information inthegutafterfibresupplementation.

Previous research has shown that dietary fibre can also

helpreducetheriskofcoloncancer, type2diabetesandotherdiseases.

The study appeared in the American Journal of Clinical

Nutrition.

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Whynon-Basmatibrownrice

In thisageofhurriedpace,highcholesterol, takeaway foodand extra midriff lard, do you ever want to go back tochildhoodwhereweightwas nary aworry, cholesterol just adifficult word and food not insecticide-laden or hormone-induced?Wealldo.Don't we all look for childhood? Call it absent-mindedcoincidence,butoneday,Ibumpedintochildhood.No,notbyturningtheclock.Walkingthroughtheaisleofasuperstore,Ifoundchildhoodonthegroceryshelf.Thatstout,browngrainofricethat thekhansama(cook)wouldmakefor luncheveryday. Not pressure cooked. That gooey brown rice that mawould servewith a pipingdollopof ghee. I grewupbut thataromalivedinmysoul.Itistothataromaoffat,brownricethatIyearnedtoreturnto.Notthelong-grainedBasmati,butthenon-Basmatibrownrice- unmilled rice which is an excellent source of manganese,selenium, phosphorus, copper, magnesium, and niacin(vitamin B3). Do you know what happens when that heartybrownriceismilledandpolishedintowhite?Itdestroys67percentofvitaminB3,80percentofvitaminB1,90percentof

vitaminB6,halfofthemanganese,halfofthephosphorus,60percentoftheiron,andallthedietaryfibreandessentialfattyacids. So, white rice is essentially refined starch withoutoriginalnutrients.Eveninbrownrice,thenon-Basmatibrownriceisbetterthanthe long grained ones. The basic difference lies in theirGlycemic Index (GI); the latterhasGIofonly8.6.Howdoesthathelp?AskSwapnaChaturvedi,dieticianatNewDelhi'sAllIndia InstituteofMedicalSciencesandshe'll rattleoffall thebenefitsofnon-Basmatibrownrice."ItslowGIisanextremelyhealthy option for diabetics, weight watchers, colon cancerpatientsandheartpatients.Itshighfibrecontentkeepsbloodglucoselevelsstableandpreventshungercravings.Itsmicronutrientshungercravings.Itsmicronutriemakeitanti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory." Pressure cook the rice.Donot throw the ricewhey.Retain the starch.Throwing thewhey means discarding all the water-soluble nutrients.DieticianDrCharuDuaofPushpanjaliCrosslayHospital,NewDelhi,shattersthemythofavoidingricecarbsatnight."Non-Basmati brown rice is great dinner. It fends off hungercravings;itslowGIhelpslowerbloodcholesterolandmanageblood sugar levels." The National Cancer Instituterecommends25gmof fibreper dayanda cupof brown riceprovidesalmost3.5gmdietaryfibre.Asakid, IknewnothingaboutGIandmicronutrients innonBasmati brown rice. I didn't 6 know it was good for weightwatchers. All I loved was the aroma and its feel-goodwholesomeness. Ihavereturnedtochildhood.Tothatstout-grainedbrownrice.

SmokingupsriskofdevelopingsecondcancerAlargestudyhasfoundthatcigarettesmokingpriortothefirstdiagnosisof lung(stageI),bladder,kidneyorheadandneckcancer increases the risk of developing a second smoking-associatedcancer."As survival improves for a number of smoking-relatedcancers, patients are living longer; however, smoking mayincrease the risk of developing a second smoking-relatedcanceramongthesesurvivors,"saidMeredithS.Shiels, leadstudy author and research fellow with the National CancerInstitute's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics.Researchersexamineddatafromfivecohortswhich included2,552patientswithstageIlung,6,386withbladder,3,179withkidneyand2,967withheadandneckcancer.They found that the association between smoking anddevelopingasecondprimarysmoking-associatedcancerwassimilar to theassociationbetweensmokinganddevelopingafirstprimarysmoking-associatedcancer.Patientswhosmokedmore than20cigarettesperdayhada5.41-foldhigherriskofdevelopingcancerthanindividualswhohaveneversmoked.Notably, current smoking at any level increased the risk ofoverallmortalityacrossallcancerdiseasesites."Our study demonstrates that health care providers shouldemphasise the importance of smoking cessation to all theirpatients, including cancer survivors," Shiels concluded.ThestudywaspublishedintheJournalofClinicalOncology.

Toomuch'junkfood'canleadtomemoryloss

Representationalimage.(Photo:visualphotos.com)Washington:Ifyoucan't resistaburger,youare in troubleasanewstudyhasshownthattoomuchofjunkfoodcandestroyyourmemory,especiallyofyoungtomiddle-agedmen.TheresearchbyUniversityofCalifornia,SanDiego,whichisthefirsttoproduce clear results on memory impairment, studied around 1,000healthymen, thosewhoconsumedthemost trans fats, found in foodslike high-fat cakes, pastries, chips and fast foods, showed notablyworse performance on a word memory test. The strength of theassociation remained even after taking into consideration things likeage,education,ethnicityanddepression.Lead author Dr Beatrice Golomb studied adults who had not beendiagnosed with heart disease, including men aged 20 or older andpostmenopausal women. Participants completed a dietaryquestionnaire,fromwhichtheresearchersestimatedparticipants' transfat consumption. To assess memory, researchers presentedparticipantswithaseriesof104cardsshowingwords.Participantshadtostatewhethereachwordwasneworawordduplicatedfromapriorcard.

Golomb said that foods have different effects on oxidative stress andcell energy, and they looked at whether trans fats, which have beenprooxidantandlinkedadverselytocellenergy,mightshowtheoppositeeffect.Andtheydid.Oxidativestresshasbeenassociatedwiththedevelopmentofdiseasessuchasheartdiseaseandcancer.Industrialtransfatsareartificiallyproducedtoturnliquidoilsintosolidsat room temperatureandextend foodshelf life.Theycanbe found inmargarines,fastfoods,bakedgoods,snackfoods,frozenpizza,coffeecreamers and some refrigerated doughs. The Food and DrugAdministration is taking further steps to reduce theamountofartificialtransfatsintheU.S.foodsupply.The study is presented at the AmericanHeart Association's ScientificSessions2014.

Ploughing youth power to rejuvenate paddyfarmingMangalore, November 19:It may be just a pilot project ofyouth cultivating rice on six acres. But it is just a beginning byRajeshNaikwitha fewhandfulofyouth.Basedon the resultsofthe project, he plans to put to use unused agricultural fields inKarnataka’sKannadadistrict.Naik, a progressive organic farmer from Dakshina Kannadadistrict,believesinyouthpowercanrejuvenatepaddyfarmingifacommunitymodelisfollowed.Momentof inspirationTobeginwith,RajeshNaikisplanningthepilotwithafewhandfulofyouthsonsixacresoflandthisSunday.Basedonthefeedbackforthisproject,hemayplanaccordingly.The idea struck him last year when he was presiding over aprogrammetocelebrateruralgamesinavillagenearMangalore.Theeventwasorganisedbyayouthassociation.

While participating, he asked the organisers to exhibit the sameenthusiasm to rejuvenate farming in the region, and assured hisfullsupport.“Dakshina Kannada district, which was once self-sufficient inpaddy production, is now bringingmore than three-fourths of itsrequirementfromotherregions.That’swhenIthoughtitwasapttofocus on paddy cultivation to motivate the youth and rejuvenatepaddyfarming,”hesaid.Thoughfarmlandownershavecomeforwardofferingaround500acres for paddy cultivation under this community farmingmodel,he is now focussing on a youth association at Brahmarakootluvillage, near the Mangalore-Bangalore highway, for his pilotproject.“Thelackoffarminghasledtothegrowthofweedinmanyfields.Thelandwillremainfertile,ifitisundercultivation,”Naiksaid.

Now,growersintearsasonionturnscheap

Losing flavour Farmers sorting onions on theHubli-Gadag highway.GRNSomashekar

Prices drop to Rs. 8 a kg in Karnataka due to highmoistureincropHubli, November 19:VittalChanappaGowda,asmall farmerfromNandihalnearRamduginKarnataka’sBelgaumdistrict,spentRs.1,000 toproduceasackofonionearlier this year. “But IamgettingamereRs.250foreachbag(of60-kg),”hesays.Standing in the dusty Agriculture Produce Marketing Committeeyard in Hubli, where he had brought 40 bags to sell, Gowdalaments:“Forgetprofits,Iwon’tbeabletorecoverthecoststhatIhaveincurredinharvestingonion.”TriggeringprotestsOnionpriceshavecrashedinrecentweeks,plungingtoaslowasRs. 100 a quintal, triggering protests from farmers in majormarkets across North Karnataka particularly Hubli and Gadag.Unseasonalrainshitthestandingcrop,impactingharvestandthequalityofproduce.PricesinHubliarecurrentlyrulingatRs.800aquintalagainstRs.1,250duringthesametimelastyear.InMaharashtra’sLasalgaon,whichdecidespricesacrossthecountry,onioniscurrentlyquotingbelowRs.1,500aquintalagainstoverRs.3,000lastyear.Followingprotests,theKarnatakaGovernmentannouncedareliefofRs.9,000perhectare,whichfarmerssayisnotenoughtocovereven their cultivation costs. Lured by last year’s high returns,farmers in Karnataka brought more land under onion this kharifseason.Also,thedelayedmonsoonaidedhigheracreage.

Unable to take up the sowing of pulses such as green gram ontimeduetothedelayinmonsoon,farmersintheStatewentinforonion.Theacreage is estimated tohave increasedby30-35percent to around 1.5 lakh hectares. Production is estimated at 1.5milliontonnes.“Wepaidalmosttwicethepriceforseeds,usedthebestofinputsandtookutmostcareof thecropanticipatingthatpricesthisyearwould be as good as last year,” said Mallappa Barker anotherfarmer.UnseasonalrainsButtheunseasonalrainsbeliedthegrowers’expectations.Onionbrought to theNorthKarnatakamarketshashighmoisturecontentand isnotpreferredbybuyers fromotherStatessuchasKeralaandTamilNadu.Traderssayonionwithhighmoisturegetsdamaged fasterwhen being transported to far-off places. This isalso influencing the prices. Expressing disappointment over theirplight,Gowda,inhismid-fifties,sayspricesofalmosteveryinput–fertiliser, seed, diesel, labour, packing and transportation costs –haveallgoneupinrecentyears,whilepricesformanyagriculturalproduce have been plunged. Restrictions imposed on exports ofonionsareputtingpressureonprices.“TheGovernmentshouldease thecurbsonexportsofonionsbybringing down the minimum export price (MEP) further,” saidPrakash TN Kammaradi, Chairman of the Karnataka AgriculturePriceCommission(KAPC).InAugust,theCentrehadreducedtheMEPto$350atonnefrom$500inJuly.Also,theGovernmentneedstocreatea“greentrack”forchannelisingexportsquickly,Kammaradisaid.Onions produced in Karnataka hold the key in maintainingdomestic supplies as they arrive in the market betweenMaharashtra’srabiandkharifcrops,whichisnormallyharvestedinNovember-December.“Onion harvest in Karnataka coincides with the arrival of NorthEastMonsoon,which isabigchallenge togrowers in theState,”Kammaradisaid.There is a need to develop cropping pattern to help growersovercome this challenge. Also, he felt that technologies such as

solardriersneedtobemadeavailabletogrowersatanaffordablecost.KAPChassuggestedthattheStateprevailupontheCentretocomeupwithanationalpolicyononiontodealwiththerelatedissues.Viabil i ty issueMeanwhile,exporterssay thatexportsarenotviablecurrentlyasthe price is still higher than those quoted by Pakistan or China.Also, the current produce is not export worthy, said CB Holkar,formerNAFEDdirectorandanexporter. “Wewillhavetowait fortheMaharasthra crop. It has been delayed andwill start arrivingfromDecember,”hesaid.Onion prices have crashed in recentweeks, plunging toas low as Rs. 100 a quintal, tr iggering protests fromfarmers in major markets across North KarnatakaparticularlyHubliandGadag.

Keralawakesuptother isksofpesticideinfoodKochi, November 19:Food-deficient Kerala, increasinglyworriedover thehighdosesofchemicalcontamination in its foodsupplies, is stepping up its guard against pesticide residues invegetablesandfruitscomingfromotherStates.The State government is putting in placemeasures to lower thelevel of pesticides, including a proposal to carry out fieldinspections to create awareness among farmers. Chief MinisterOommenChandycalledameetingof topofficialsonTuesday todiscuss the issue. Themeeting decided to set up an agency forinter-State coordination so that only safe-to-eat vegetables andfruitswouldarriveinKerala.TheauthoritywillbeheadedbyFoodSafetyCommissionerTVAnupamaandwillincludeseniorofficialsfromseveralgovernmentdepartments.Seriousissue“Vegetable contamination is a very serious issue as it causesserious health risks,” Anupama toldBusinessLine. “A KeralaAgricultural University study and our own tests on vegetablesprocured from the market show high levels of harmful pesticideresidues.”

ShesaidthatahugechunkoftheState’svegetablesuppliescamefromTamilNaduandsomequantitiesfromKarnatakaandAndhraPradesh as well. Farmers there, in their enthusiasm to boostoutputandincreaseshelflife,oftenusedpesticides,manyofwhicharebanned, inhighdoses.TheKeralaFoodSafetyAuthorityhasidentified13vegetables,includingcurryleavesandchillies,whichcontainedextremelyhighlevelsofpesticideresidue.Intherecentyears,severalreportshavepointedtothehealthrisksof thevegetables, fruits,meat,chicken,riceandwheatcomingtoKerala from other States. Chicken was found containing highlevels antibiotics (this would cause resistance to antibiotics inhumanbeings);fishsprinkledwithformalin(usedtopreservedeadbodies); and rice coated with harmful preservatives. Apple andgrapes are among the most-contaminated fruits in the market.Endosulfan,apesticidebannedinKerala,wasfoundtohavebeenextensivelyusedonvegetablesandfruitscomingfromoutside.OrganicfarmingMedia reports about contamination in the past few years havetriggereda tiny “growyourownvegetables”movement inKerala.Farmingonhouseterracesiscatchingon.Acoupleofyearsago,the Agriculture Department launched a scheme to supply “growbags”containingseedlingsofcertainessentialvegetables.And,inparallel,anorganicvegetablecultivationdriveisalsoon.

NewcroparrivalstomashpotatopricesKolkata. November 19:Potatopriceswillstartsofteningnextweek in major consuming centres such as Delhi as early cropvarietiesfromPunjabandUPareexpectedtoarriveinmarkets.Thedropinpricesmaynotbesignificant,though,inKolkatatillthemiddle of next month, when early varieties such S-6 or Pokhrajproduced in theWestBengalwillarrive in themarkets.Bengal isthesecondlargestpotatoproducingStateafterUttarPradesh.Seniorofficialsof theWestBengalCoalStorageAssociation toldBusinessLinethatpotatopriceshaveruledunusuallyfirmthisyeardue to delayed arrival of crop fromPunjab andUttarPradesh inconsumingcentres.

“Normally Delhi receives nearly 100 truckloads (of 15-16 tonneseach)offreshcropfromPunjabandUttarPradeshinsecondweekof November. The arrival has been slow this year. This coupledwithlowstocksduetocroplossinUttarPradesh,BiharandsomeotherStates,lastyear,keptpricesfirm,”anofficialsaid.Last year, production in the country dropped to 44.03 milliontonnesagainst45.34milliontonnesayearago.ThesupplysituationisexpectedtostarteasingfromNovember25as more despatches are on their way to markets in Delhi andAssam.Any softening of prices in consuming centres should also putpressureinWestBengalwhichexportsnearly40-50percentofits95 lakh tonnes production to other States.West Bengal has notwitnessedanycroplosslastyear.The wholesale price in Bengal is nowRs.18 a kg at the coldstorage end. The retail price of commonChandrakukhi variety ishoveringaroundRs.22akginKolkata.InAgra,abenchmarkforthe country, prices are currently ruling atRs.1,980 a quintalagainstRs.1,370duringthesameperiodayearago.West Bengal has about five lakh tonnes potato inventory and apartofitwillbeusedasseed.Though the stocks are sufficient to meet the demand till earlyvarieties are harvested, the market sentiment is bullish due todelayedarrivaloffreshcropfromPunjab.“Wedon’texpectanysignificantdecline inprices inWestBengaltillDecember,”thesourcesaid.Interestingly,highpricesledtoabout10percenthighersowingofthetuberacrossthecountrythisseason.However,itremainstobeseenif itcantranslateintohigherproductionaspotatoisahighlyweathersensitivecrop.

TamilNaduon‘MissionBanana’PlanningtogloballymarketthefruitunderabrandnameMadurai, November 19:TheConfederationofIndianIndustry(CII) and the Tamil Nadu Banana Growers Federation (TNBGF)willbesubmittingsoon,a‘MissionBanana’documenttotheStateandUniongovernmentstodeviseaplanofactiontomarketunderthebrandname‘TamilNaduBanana’worldwide.MS Srinivasa Reddy, CII representative and co-Chairman, TamilNadu Banana Festival, speaking to reporters along with APKaruppaiah and G Ajeethan, President and General Secretary,TNBGF,atTiruchi,saidthatbasedontheoutcomeoftwoeditionsof Tamil Nadu Banana Festival held in 2012 and 2013 and anintensivestudy,adocumenthasbeenpreparedtogetthesupportof State and Central governments on banana cultivation,preservationandmarketingwithaneyeonexportunderthebrandname‘TamilNaduBanana’inothercountries.Thirdedit ionThethirdeditionofCIITamilNaduBananaFestivalwillbeheldonDecember20and21inTiruchi,headded.Karuppaiahsaidthattheunderlyingthemeofthefestivalwouldbe“frombunchestoboxes”andthethrustwouldbeonpostharvestprocessesandvalueadditionofbananaandbananaproducts.AproposaltofloataTamilNaduBananaProducersCompanyLtdon the first dayof theconference isunder considerationand thecompanywouldmarket theproduceof itsmembers toget betterprice,addedAjeethan.