RenukacharyademandscompensationforfarmersFormer Minister M.P. Renukacharya and former MLA BelurGopalakrishna on Thursday demanded compensation for arecanutgrowersinDavangeredistrict.Thefarmershadlosttheircropstofruitrotdiseaselastyear.

TheyallegedthattheStategovernmenthasnotconductedapropersurveyof flood-affectedareas in thedistrict toascertaindamageofcrops.

Addressing presspersons here, Mr. Renukacharya said thegovernment has released a compensation of Rs. 3.5 crore toarecanutgrowersinDavangereasagainstthesanctionedamountofRs.22crore.

Although,MinisterofStateforAgricultureKrishnaByreGowdavisitedDavangere recently, he did not hold a meeting with the DeputyCommissioner and officials of the Revenue, Agriculture andHorticulturedepartments,theysaid.Mr.Renukacharyasoughtajointsurvey by senior officials of Revenue, Agriculture and Horticulturedepartmentsintheflood-hitareas.

Mr. Belur Gopalakrishna said farmers in Soppinagudda in Sagaraconstituencyhavebeenservedevictionnotice.“KagoduThimmappa,Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, who represents the area, issilentovertheissue,”healleged.

AfricanGiantSnailmenaceupthisyear

TheAfricanGiantSnailcanconsumearound500speciesofplants.Photo:HorticultureDepartment

A few farmers have complained that the menace of African GiantSnail (called Daitya Basavana Hulu in Kannada) orAchatinafulicahas increased in some farmland in Dakshina Kannada thisyear. This snail mainly affected vegetables, ginger, banana and tosome extent arecanut, said Yogesh H.R., Deputy Director,DepartmentofHorticulture.

He toldThe Hinduthat this snail naturally existed in swampy area,especiallyduringtherainyseason.Butthisyeartheyhavebeenseenin large number inAlankar,Markanja,Sampaje,Panja,Bellare and

Charmady areas in addition to farm lands along the banks of theNetravathiandtheKumaradhara.

Mr.Yogesh said that specific reasons for the snailsmultiplying thisyearwere not known. It could be due to highmoisture content.Hesaid the snail,which takes shelter under its shell, becameactive inthe night and consumed vegetable plants, banana and its leaves,ginger and several crops. Though the taller arecanut palms werespared,thesmallerpalmsweredamaged.

Balakrishna Suvarna, chairman, standing committee on agriculture,DakshinaKannadaZillaPanchayat, toosaid that themenaceof thesnailwasnotfoundinarecanutpalms.Mr.Yogeshsaidthesnailwascapableofeating500speciesofplants.Itcouldcovertwometresperhourandlivedupto12years.Asnailcouldlaybetween100and400eggsatatime.

He said metaldehyde pesticide could be used to kill them. Thispesticideshouldbepastedtopapayaorpineappleorcabbagepiecesandkeptinthefarmduringnight.Forakilogramofthevegetableorfruitpieces,20mlofthepesticideshouldbepasted.Ifthesnailswerefoundafter the rainyseason, limestonecouldbespreadaround theplantstokillthem.Inthiscasethesnailsdiedoutofdehydration.

A release from the department said farmers could call Horti Clinic,Mangalore (0824 2412628) or Krishi Vignana Kendra, Mangalore(08242431872)formoreinformation.

Thesesolarpumpsetshavetrackingsystems

A Hyderabad-based solar tracking technology solution provider isseeking to spread awareness about the advantages of using solarwaterpumpsfittedwiththeirtechnology.

Smart Trak has sold close to 100 solar water pump setswith theirsolartrackingtechnology,whichpromisestoincreasethewaterflowby75percent,whencomparedtoconventionalsolarwaterpumps.

“Increasedamountofwaterwill enable farmers togrow threecropsinsteadoftwoinayear.Inthenexttwoyears,wehopetosell1,000solar water pumps fitted with tracking systems. We have receivedcertification from Non-renewable Energy Development Corporation(NEDCAP) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for ourtracking systempump sets,” saysSmart Trak’sCEOG.BhagawanReddy.

The company officials told reporters on Wednesday that solartrackersmaximisetheamountof incoming lightbyfollowingthesunasitmovesacrossthesky.

“Conventional solar panels face the sun all day in only one angle.However, solar trackers enable movement of solar panels byfollowing the direction of the sun. This increases the amount ofincomingsunlight,”explainsSmartTrak’sCOONaveenTadpatri.

SmartTrakofficials claim there is notmuchof a difference in pricebetweenthetwokindsofpumpsets.

“Wehavemadesurethecostof thetraditionalsolarpumpsetsandoursarethesame.Moreover,wealsoofferremotemonitoringfeaturewherethroughcellphones,userscanchecktheperformanceoftheirpumpsets,”theysay.Fordetails,visitwww.smarttrak.inorcall6559-9900.

Foodparkprojectevokesmixedresponse

EvenasPrimeMinisterNarendraModiwill inauguratethefoodparkin Tumkur on September 24, the local response to the project hasbeenmixed.While a section of people see it as a project that willgeneratejobsandboostthelocaleconomy,thefarmingcommunityissceptical.

The food park is established on 110 acres of land atVasanthanarasapura Industrial Area, near Tumkur, at an estimatedcost of Rs. 145 crore under public-private partnership model. AMumbai-basedprivatecompany,FutureGroup(ofBigBaazarfame),has got the tender for the project. A special purpose vehicle,

Integrated Food Park Pvt. Ltd., has been set up in Bangalore toimplement the project. Storage units will be opened at Kolar,Chickballapur, Doddaballapur, Chamarajanagar, Shimoga andChikmagalurtocollectfruitsandvegetablesfromfarmers.Accordingto chairman of the Abhivruddi Revolution Forum KundaranahalliRamesh, the project is being implemented under the ‘Mega FoodPark’schemeoftheMinistryofFoodProcessingIndustriestosupportfoodprocessingsectorandfarmers.

TheformerMPG.S.Basavaraj toldTheHinduthatmore than6,000people in the district would get employment andmore than 40,000familiesoffarmerswouldbeindirectlybenefittedfromit.

However,accordingtoStatesecretaryoftheKarnatakaRajyaRaithaSangha B.S. Devaraj, the project will help corporate companiesrather than benefit farmers. He alleged that corporate companiesmightexploitgulliblefarmers,unawareofthetermsoftrading.

Farmers’grievancesmeetonSeptember26

Themonthlyfarmersgrievancesmeetingwillbeheldat10a.m.attheCollector’sOfficehereonSeptember26,CollectorN.Subbaiyansaidinapressrelease.

Farmers who wish to express their views at the meeting shouldregistertheirnamesbetween8.30a.m.and10a.m.

Thefirsttworegisteredfarmersfromeachtalukwouldbeallowedtospeakatthemeeting.

Farmersareadvised to register theirpetitionsbeforesubmitting thesame at themeeting. The farmers grievancesmeeting in Tiruvarurwould be held at 10.30 a.m. on September 25, Collector M.Mathivanansaidinarelease.

GDCCBgetsA-gradeNationalBank forAgricultureandRuralDevelopmenthasaccorded‘A’gradetotheGulbargaDistrictCentralCooperativeBankthisyearand the latterproposes toextend loans fornon-agricultureactivitiesincludingcommercialloansfromthenextfinancialyear.

Chairman of the Gulbarga District Central Cooperative BankSomashekarGonayak toldpresspersonshereonThursday that theNABARD took into consideration the performance of the bank overthe past few years, recovery percentage, low NPA and the highworkingcapital.

The bank which covers all 11 branches in Gulbarga and Yadgirdistricts, proposes to have a tie up with a commercial bank forintroducingATMfacilitiesfortheaccountholders.

Hesaid that themembersof thebankhavedonatedRs.2.80crorevoluntarilysofarfortheconstructionofanewbuildingofthebankinGulbarga.MrGonayaksaidthatthebankhadsetitselfatargetofRs.280crorethisyearcovering1.5lakhfarmers.

FarmersinRaichurhitbyureascarcityAgricultureDepartmentsaystherehasbeenadelayinarrivaloffertilizer

FarmersinRaichurareanunfortunatelot.

First they had to see their standing crop hit by drought during JulyandthefirsttwoweeksofAugust.Accordingtoreportscropinaround2lakhhectaresoflandinthedistrictwasaffectedbythedrought.But1lakhhectaresoflandwasnotcultivated.

By the thirdweek of August rain lashed across the district and thefarmers started cultivating on the 1 lakh hectares of land. But thegentleshowerschangedintoadownpourwithinjustacoupleofdays.

During the last 10 days of August incessant rain lashed acrossRaichur. Water bodies started overflowing, low-lying areas in thedistrict got submerged and unfortunatey for the farmer, their cropbecamesubmerged.

Standingcrop,whichhadbeenturnedyellowduetodroughtandlaterturnedgreenishforabriefperiodduetoinitialrain,havenowturnedyellowagainduetowater-logging.

Thefarmersneedureatosavetheircropbutunfortunately for themthereisreportedlyashortageofthefertilizeracrossthedistrict.

AgricultureMinisterKrishnaBhairegowdahad,onhis recent visit toRaichuralongwithChiefMinisterSiddaramaiah,saidthat therewasno scarcity and that the district had 7,000metric tons of urea. Hisstatementhasbeenprovenfalsebythesituationontheground.

“I need 20 bags of urea to mix with equal amount of DAP andcomplex fertilisers to save my cotton plants that are struggling tosurviveon20acresofland.

However, Raichur Agriculture Produce Marketing and ProcessingCooperative Society gave me only 2 bags of urea,” Tayappa, afarmer from Udumgal village in Raichur taluk, toldThe Hinduon

Thursday.HehasbeenvisitingRaichurdailyoverthepastoneweektogetthefertilizer.

On Thursday, there was a tense situation outside the RaichurAgriculture ProduceMarketing and Processing Cooperative SocietyoutletatthemarketyardinRaichuronThursdayasfarmersgathereddemandingUrea.

“By theendofAugust, thedistrict received53,000metric tonnesofUreaasagainstthetargetof69,850metrictonnes.Inthismonth,wehave received 12,000 metric tonnes against the target of 22,000metrictonnes.Thedelayinarrivalshascausedtheproblem,”sourcesintheAgricultureDepartmentsaid.

However a farmer leader LakshmangowdaKadagamdoddi said thattheverytargetsetbytheAgricultureDepartmentwasfar lowerthantheactualrequirement.

“Theplants thatconsumemorewaterdue towater-loggingdemandmoreureaforsurvival,”headded.

SmallonionpricestouchnewhighatauctionMarketingcomplexcomesasaboontooniongrowers

Even as trading of shallots through open auction at the newlyestablishedmarketingcomplexatChettikulam inPerambalurdistrict

hasbeenon theupswing in recentmonths, auctionat the complextouchedahighwith25tonnesofsmallonionsbeingauctionedonasingledayonTuesday.

Theopeningofthemarketingcomplexhascomeasaboontooniongrowers,whohavebeencomplainingoverexploitationbymiddlemen.Farmers alleged that they were being cheated by middlemen whoofferedlowpricesfortheirproduce.

Withtheopeningoftheexclusivemarketingcomplexforsmallonionsin themiddle of July this year, the quantity of onions sold throughopenauctionhasbeenincreasingsteadily.OnTuesday,asmany62farmers from Irur, Alathur, Chettikulam, Eachankaddu,Nattarmangalam,Ammapalayam,Padalur,Elambalur,SirvayalurandBommanapadivillagesparticipatedintheauction.

Womenfarmersleadtheway1

WomenfarmersfelicitatedontheoccasionofICRISATWomenFarmers’DayatPatancheruinMedak.–Photo:Mohd.Arif

MandabaiBhikajiKaleisa45-year-oldfarmerfromBazaWahegaonvillage in Jalna district of Marathwada region in Maharashtra. Theregionhasbeenfacingseveredroughtconditionssincethelastthreeyears.

Sorghum crop grown during these years were damaged at theseedlingstage itself, resulting insevereshortageofseed.Thatwasthe timeMs.Mandabai took the lead andunderwent training in thescientificmethodofproduction technologyandseedproduce,alongwithmembersofSurabhiMahilaBachatGat(SHG).Asaresult,theyhavebeenabletosowimprovedvarietiesofseedinthesubsequentseasonsandthereby,undertakeprofitableventures.Ms.Mandabai’sserviceswerealsorecognisedbytheGovernmentofMaharashtra.

Ms. Sabita Nayak, in her mid-40s, is from Kharsawan village ofSeraikelladistrictinJharkhand.Shecultivatesmaizetwiceayearandhas never let her land lie fallow at any given time. She is the onlywoman in thevillagewhoundertakescropping throughout theyear.Cultivating dry-land crops has increased her income. Ms. Sabitabecame a role model for the women in the village by sending herdaughters to school, constructing apuccahouse and buying acomputer for her children. She has convinced hermother-in-law toallowhertogotoworkandinordertogotothefield,shecooksfoodearlyinthemorningeveryday.

“Step out of the confines of your house and so something on yourown. This not only helps you to getmore income but also enablesyoutogainrespectinsociety,”wasthemessagegivenbyhertothewomen inhervillage.Theseareonly twoof the83successstoriespublished by International Crops Research Institute for Semi AridTropics(ICRISAT),whichcelebratedWomenFarmers’Dayrecently.Titled ‘Women Leaders,’ the book was aimed at telling the societyabout ‘unsung heroes’ in the farming sector, as described by itsDirectorGeneralWilliamD.Dar.

GingergrowersindistressThesteepfallingingerpriceinthemarkethasdisappointedfarmers,whocultivatedthecrophopinggoodreturnsthisyear.

In the last twomonths, thepricehascomedown fromRs.4,000 toRs.1,500forabagweighing60kg.

Lastyear,gingergrowersearnedgoodreturnsasthepricestoodatRs.4,000abag.Hopingthatthesamewouldcontinuethisyeartoo,manyfarmerspreferredgrowingginger.

VenuKumar,agingergrowerofSalagameinHassantaluk,saidlastyearhehadcultivatedtomatoandthistimeheoptedforginger.“Lastyear, many friends had earned good returns by growing ginger. Ifollowedthemthisyear.ButIdidnotgetagoodprice,”hesaid.

Oneoftheprimereasonsfordipinpriceisdecreaseindemanddueto increase in production. In Hassan alone, ginger is cultivated on13,000hectares(ha)ofland,against8,000halastyear.

Similarly, the area covered by ginger has increased in Shimoga,Chikmagalurandotherdistricts this year.Themerchantsareof theview that the price may increase by a few hundred rupees in twomonths.“Thistrendofdecreaseinpriceistemporary.Inacoupleofmonths,pricesmayincrease,”saidRamachandra,amerchant.

Ginger was introduced to Hassan in a large scale by farmers fromKerala.Manyfarmerstook landonrentalbasistocultivateginger inthelastdecade.Till2012,manylocalfarmersgaveawaytheirlandtoKeralafarmersonrenttocultivateginger.Gradually,theyunderstoodthatKeralafarmerswereearninggoodreturnsbycultivatinggingerinother’slandandstartedcultivatingthecropontheirown.

The price of the crop has dipped from Rs. 4,000 to Rs.1,500fora60-kgbag

‘Thereisnoshortageoffert i l izer inthedistr ict ’

Ureaisrequiredfortopdressingofthepaddycrop.—FILePHOTO:M.A.SRIRAM

M.Mahanteshappa,JointDirectorofAgriculture,hassaidthereisnoshortageoffertilizerinanypartofthedistrictandsaidthatover1,000tonnes of urea (of SPIC) were received on Thursday. He said that700 tonnesofurea (REF)hadbeensupplied toMysorea fewdaysagoandanother1,200tonnesofureawouldbesuppliedinaweek’stime.Alltogethertherewouldbe2,900tonnesofureaasagainstthetotalrequirementof5,000tonnes,hesaid.

Discounting theallegations that therehadbeenshortageof fertilizerin many parts of the district, Dr. Mahanteshappa said it would bedistributed through Primary Agriculture Co-Operative Societies andas and when the societies placed orders for fertilizer, it would besuppliedtothemwithinareasonabletimeframe.

He said that a few private fertilizer dealers had been involved inspreading rumours thatureawasunavailableso that farmerswouldbuy it fromthematahighprice.Heappealed to farmersnot topayheedtosuchrumours.Ureaisrequiredfortopdressingofthepaddycrop.

Dr. Mahanteshappa said that paddy transplantation had beencompleted in over 95,000 hectares as against the targeted area of1,05,000hectaresinthedistrict.

He advised farmers not to stick to only one brand of fertilizer. Henoted thatallbranded fertilizershadbeen testedby thedepartmentand they all contained uniform ingredients. Referring to complaintsthat officials of the Agriculture Department were forcing farmers tobuyotherfertilizerapartfromurea,Dr.Mahanteshappasaidthattheuse of only ureawould not help farmers get a good yield and thattheywouldhavetouseotherfertilizersuchasNPK.

LoanwaiverbenefitsoughtforhorticulturefarmersTheZillaParishad,initsfirstgeneralbodymeetinghereonThursday,adopted a resolution urging the State government to extend loanwaiverschemeforhorticulturecroploanstoo.

Kamalapuram YSR Congress MLA P. Raveendranatha Reddyproposedaresolutionforwaiverofalltypesofloans.Reiteratingthesame,KadapaMPY.S.AvinashReddysaidthatmango,papayaandbananacropsweredamagedowingtogales.Thefarmersnevergotcropinsurance,thoughtheyhadpaidfivetosixpercentoftheloanamountaspremium.

CongressMLCB.Chengarayulusaid thatonlychilliwas included inthe scheme and termed exclusion of mango, papaya, banana,turmeric and other horticulture crops as irrational. TDP MP C.M.Ramesh Naidu and Simhadripuram ZPTC member P. PrabhakarReddysaidthat96.2percentoffarmerswouldbenefitfromtheloanwaiverscheme.Afteradebateonloanwaiver,ZPChairmanGuduruRavi said a resolution was adopted and it would be sent to the

government.Themeetingalsodiscussed issuessuchas releaseofirrigationwateranddrinkingwaterscarcity in thedistrict.YSRCMPP. Mithun Reddy proposed a resolution seeking State and Centralfunds for augmentingdrinkingwater supply in thedistrict,whileMr.Mithun Reddy sought clearance of bills for water transported lastyear.

GMfood:regulatorymechanismmootedAgricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan has called for a regulatorymechanism to monitor genetically modified food. Addressing anational symposium on nutrition security organised by CompoundLivestockFeedManufacturersAssociationofIndia(CLFMA)hereonThursday,hesaidacredibleandtransparentsystemwasrequiredtoverifyaspectspertainingtoGMfood.“TheU.S.hasaregulatorybodyandGMfoodispermittedthereunderitssupervision,”hesaid.

Dr.Swaminathanhighlightedtheneedforanevergreenrevolutiontoincrease productivity without harming the environment. He alsounderlined the necessity for strategies such as inter-cropping ofpulses and cereals and avoidance of wastage of food, in order toachievenutritionsecurityasenvisagedby theUnitedNationsunderits Zero Hunger Challenge programme. “The future belongs tonationswithgrainsandnotguns,”hesaid.

Shrinking per capita land and climate changes affecting agriculturalproductivity were indicators that required prime attention and therewasnotimetorelax.

“Therighttofoodbeginsfromthefarmer,”hesaid.

KeralaChiefMinisterOommenChandysaidunbalanceddietamongchildren was a matter of concern as it resulted in lower immunity.India was one of the countries which recorded high levels ofmalnutrition.

Administrationofprotein fromplantandanimalsourcescouldbeaneffectivewaytohelpachievenutritionalsecurity.Healsopromisedtolook into the taxation issues affecting the livestock feedmanufacturingsegment.

Coveragriculture,mediaurgedFormerChairmanofKarnatakaKrishiMissionS.A.PatilonThursdayappealed to media to give extensive coverage to agriculture.Speakingataseminaron ‘AgricultureandMedia’,organisedby theRajya Kabbu Belegarara Sangha (sugarcane growers’ association)here,Mr.Patilsaidmedia,throughtheirreports,shouldhighlightthelapsesinimplementationofagriculturalschemes.

FarmconferenceinDharmasthalaAtwo-dayconferenceon ‘Sustainingsmall farmholding: issuesandchallenges’ will be held at Dharmasthala from September 24. UmaShankar, Karnataka Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India, willinaugurate it. Mundoor Monappa Karkera, member, NationalAgriculture Pricing Corporation, will deliver the key-note address.Representatives of more than 100 non-governmental organisationshaveregisteredtoparticipateinit.

VolumedropsatCoonoorteaauction

Coonoor,September17:The falling trendwitnessed last fewweeks in the offer forCoonoorTeaTradeAssociationauctioncontinues forSaleNo:38 tobeheldon Thursday and Friday. A volume of 12.52 lakh kg has beencatalogued–amongthe lowestsofar in2014. It issome84,000kglessthantheofferoflastweek.Ofthis,avolumeof8.46lakhkgbelongstotheleafgradesand4.06lakh kg belongs to the dust grades. As much as 11.58 lakh kgbelongs toCTCvarietyandonly94,000kg,orthodoxvariety. In theleafcounter,only41,000kgbelongstoorthodoxwhile8.05 lakhkg,CTC. Among the dusts, only 53,000 kg belongs to orthodox while3.53 lakh kg, CTC. With substantial volumes remaining unsold inpreviousauctions,asmuchastwolakhkgofsuchteasarebeingre-offeredthisweek.In the Leaf auction last week, among corporate buyers, HindustanUnilever Ltd bought brighter liquoring varieties. Tata GlobalBeverages Ltd., was fairly active on good medium sorts. GodfreyPhilipsIndiaLtdshowedsomeinterestonmediumbrokens.

Duncans Tea Ltd bought some goodmedium brokens. In theDustauction, HUL was fairly active on good medium smaller grades.Godfrey Philips was fairly active on medium smaller grades.Indcoserve expressed interest for good medium smaller grades.There was good demand for brighter liquoring teas from upcountrybuyers.Overall, internal buyers were less active. Exporters chose mostlyplainergrades.(This article was published in the Business Line print edition datedSeptember18,2014) For the 5th year in a row, surplus seen in sugaroutput

NewDelhi,September17:The country’s sugar production is likely to increase five per cent to250-255 lakh tonnes(lt)nextseasonstartingOctoberdespiteaonepercentdropinsugarcaneacreage,accordingtoIndianSugarMillsAssociation(ISMA).

Astatement releasedby the ISMAonWednesdaysaid thatanothersurplusproductionislikelyforthefifthconsecutiveyear.Thisseason,productionwas243ltagainst230-240ltdomesticdemand.“On the basis of September 2014 satellite images, ISMA estimatesthe total cane acreage at 5.29million hectares,which is just aboutonepercentlesscomparedwithlastyear,”saidthestatement.Production is estimated to rise by 20 per cent and 7 per cent,respectively, in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the two key cane-producingStates.However, ISMAestimates thatUttarPradesh, theState owing a bulk ofRs.7,760 crore cane arrears to farmers, willseeitsproductionfallto6ltfrom6.5lt.SugarcaneacreageinTamilNaduhasparticularlybeenimpactedbypoor rainfalland issome12-13percent lower,asa resultofwhichsugaroutputisexpectedtodeclinebynearly20percent,ISMAsaid.Export incentivesWithanestimated72-75ltofopeningstocklikelyonOctober1,whichis 25 lt more than domestic requirement, ISMA wants theGovernmentcontinuetheexportsubsidytohelpinjectsomeliquidityinto the cash-starved industry.Surplus stocks could hurt depressedpricesevenfurtherandincreaseworriesfordebt-riddenmillsaroundthecountry,itsaid.The Government is currently providing export subsidyofRs.3,371/quintal of sugar. “As alreadydecided inFebruary 2014by the Government, it is important to continue with the exportincentive scheme for rawsugar in the2014-15 sugar season,” saidISMA.Thesugarindustryreiteratedthattodealwithsurplussugar,itwouldconvertcanejuiceintoethanoltobeblendedwithpetrolaccordingtothemandatory5percentrequirement.

“Onebillionlitresofadditionalethanolprocurementcanreduceabout1.7milliontonnesofsurplussugarfromthemarket.Thiscanhelptheindustry with better cash flows and they can pay cane price to thefarmersontimeinthenextsugarseason,”saidISMA.(This article was published in the Business Line print edition datedSeptember18,2014)Monsoon al l set to withdraw from north-westernpartsThiruvananthapuram,September17:The India Met Department has announced that conditions arebecomingfavourableforthewithdrawalofthemonsoonfrompartsofnorthwestIndia.Theprocessmaybeginduring the restof thisweek toenda roller-coasterrideofthemonsoonthathasrunupadeficitof11percentasondate.There isnotmuchscope foradrasticchange in thedeficitsituationevenwhilenot ignoring the low-pressurearea in theBayofBengalandpotentialrainforpartsofpeninsularIndia.RainswithdrawTheUSClimatePredictionCentreagreeswiththisview,andseestherains having alreadywithdrawn from north-west except thewesternhalf of Jammu andKashmir and adjoining Punjab. It also suggeststhatmostof thegains from the ‘low’ in theBaywouldpanoutoverpeninsular India during the very last week of the month (startingWednesdaynext,September24).Till then, rainsor thundershowersareseen lashingpartsof theeasterncoastcoveringmainlyAndhraPradeshandTamilNaduandtheadjoininginterior.Meanwhile,othermodelssuggestedthatthe‘low’maynotcrossthepeninsularcoastbutretreatbacktotheouterseasandchugtowards

Odisha-GangeticWestBengalcoast. Itwouldmerely leave the fieldclear for the monsoon to withdraw from central India, especiallyMadhya Pradesh, in what looks like a process loaded with someintentofhaste.In thismanner, the rainsgotdraggedwell intoOctober.Meanwhile,India Met Office said onWednesday that the ‘low’ in the Bay hasalreadyspunawaynorthintothewest-centralbasinoffnorthAndhraPradesh-south Odisha. Heavy rain is forecast for Andaman andNicobar Islands, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh and the North-easternStatesoverthenextthreedays.Rains will grow in intensity over the north-east from the weekend,indicatingthetrackofthe‘low.’Thundershowers are forecast for West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha,Telangana, Rayalaseema, coastal Andhra Pradesh into early nextweek.(This article was published in the Business Line print edition datedSeptember18,2014)Ornamentalf ishproductioncanboostmicroenterprisegrowth Mangalore,September17:Theproductionandmarketingofornamentalfishcanspurthegrowthof micro enterprises in the fisheries sector, according toLakshminathaReddy,GeneralManagerofCorporationBank.Inaugurating a training programme on ‘Ornamental fish productionandmarketing’atCollegeofFisheriesinMangaloreonWednesday,Reddysaidactivitiesrelatedtoornamentalfishproductionaregainingimportanceinthefisheriessector.India’scontributionStatingthatIndia’scontributiontotheglobalornamentalfishtradeisless than 1 per cent, he said the production and marketing ofornamental fishescancreatemoremicroenterprisesinthefisheriessector.

Thecountryneedsmoreandmoreofmicroenterprises,hesaid.Urging the trainees to get technical knowledge from the trainingprogramme,hesaidCorporationBankwouldfinancethem,iftheyareinterestedincreatingmicroenterprisesinornamentalfishproductionandmarketing.The Western Ghat section has rare varieties of ornamental fish.Thereisaneedtoconservethesevarieties,hesaid.Shivakumar Magada, Programme Coordinator and professor offisheries at the college, said the ornamental fish has created a bigmarketinthepastonedecade.GivingtheexampleofBangalore,hesaid thenumberofoutletssellingornamental fishwasnearly700adecadeago.Nowmorethan1,200outletssellornamentalfishthere,andthemonthlyturnoverisaroundRs.1.5croreinBangalorealone,hesaid.HShivanandaMurthy,HeadofDepartmentofAquaculture,Collegeof Fisheries, said the country exports fishworthRs.20,000 crore ayear.Of that, the share of ornamental fish is aroundRs.300 crore.There is still scope to increase production of ornamental fishvarieties,hesaid.

TruantmonsooncouldhitRabicropprospectstooNewDelhi,September17:Rabi or winter season sowing could be affected on account of theSouth-WestMonsoon receiving12per cent deficit rainfall this year,accordingtoUnionAgricultureMinisterRadhaMohanSingh.“Regions that received deficit rainfall will be affected during Rabiseasonsowing.However,despitedeficitinrainfall,thesituationisnotlikewhat itwasin2009andthe(Kharif)acreageisdownonlythreepercent,”saidSingh,inauguratinganationalagriculturalconferenceconvenedinpreparationfortheRabiseason.In2009,rainfalldeficitduring the South-West Monsoon was 23 per cent, affectingproductionofalmostallkharifcrops.

MajorwheatproducingStates suchasUttarPradesh,HaryanaandMadhyaPradesh are experiencing deficit rainfall,withUPdeclaring40districtsasdrought-hitthisweek.Haryanadeclaredall22districtsasdroughtaffectedonSeptember2.Wheat,barley,potato,mustard,maize, rapeseed/mustard and onion are the primary Rabi crops,sowedfromOctoberandharvestedfromApril.States would be provided all assistance to achieve productiontargets,theMinistersaid.JSSandhu,AgricultureCommissioner,saidthattheproductiontargetforwheathadbeensetat94milliontonnesand that the Government would attempt to utilise 3.37 millionhectaresoflandthathadbeenleftfallowduringsowingforthekharifseasonduetorainfallshortage.OtherRabicroptargetsare:rice(14mt),barley(1.75mt),maize(6mt),millets(2.5mt),pulses(12.5mt),oilseeds(11mt)andfoodgrains(130.75mt).“Wearetryingtoenforceseedcertificationstandardsandalsofurtherthe area application of micronutrients in the soil. The promotion ofseedproductionduringtheoff-seasontomakeupfordeficiencies issomething we are trying as well planning in advance for summerpulses,” saidSandhu.Strategies to tacklewheat crop diseases likeYellowRustandKarnalBuntareunderwayaswell,hesaid.KharifstrategyOnstrategiesfortheKharifcrops,theMinistersaid:“Wemanagedtocome up with timely policies to face the challenges of the delayedmonsoon. We implemented a diesel subsidy scheme, increasedceiling of the subsidy on seeds, waived duties on the imports ofvarious feed ingredients and provided financial support forhorticultural cropgrowersetc.Contingencyplanswereprepared for565districts.” (This article was published in the Business Line print edition dated September 18, 2014)

JAMMU:Asthefloodwatersrecede,agrimpictureemergesfromtheagriculture sector in Jammu where the deluge has washed awaycrops worth Rs 365 crore and 13,000 hectares of cultivable land.While the Maize crop suffered Rs 248 crore damage, rice/paddycropssufferedalossofRs48crorefollowedbyRs40crorelosstovegetablecropsbesidesdamagetopulsesandsaffron."Lossof365crorehasbeencausedtocropsinJammuregionintheflash floods", Director, Agriculture, Jammu, S S Jamwal told PTI.Hesaidanelaboratereporthasbeensubmittedtothegovernmentonthe basis of the preliminary assessment done across the region.Jamwal,who himself led teams of theDepartment ofAgriculture toassess the losses caused to crops and farm lands, said 13,000hectaresofagriculturelandhasbeenwashedawayinthefloods.Tawi, Basantar and Devak rivers have changed courses at placesresulting inmajordamagetohugechunksofagriculture land inNikiTawiandRamgarhbeltsofJammuandSambadistricts."It is thebiggestchallengefor thegovernment toensureprotectionsto farm landsand later reclaiming these lands foruse inagricultureactivities",Jamwalsaid.Taking stock of the situation, the Department of Agriculture haspressed into service its monitoring teams to make an on-the-spotassessmentofdamagescausedtovegetables,paddy,maize,pulsesand fodder crops by the flash floods and heavy rains in differentdistrictsofJammudivisionsinceSeptember14.Jamwal has also held detailed interaction with farmers of Kukrian,

Kothey Manhasan, Haripur, Chak Jaggar, Thub, Mahaveer Basti,Kothey Puran, Ghou Manhasan, Sandawan, Bhagatpur, Suhagani,Chakrali, Nai basti, Marh, Kana Chak, Kayanpur, Panjore andadjoiningareasofMarhsub-division.Hitbythefloods,farmerParkashSinghofKukerianareasaid,"Therehas been tremendous loss to the farmers of the area who needimmediatereliefandhelp.Wehavelosteverything.Ourlifedependsonfarming".Similarly,JanakSinghsaid,"Wecannotdofarmingfor thenextoneyear as some land has been washed away and some renderedbarrenbythefloods.Wewilltakemorethanoneyeartoreclaimthefarmland".In Suhagani panchyat and adjoining areas, about 500 acres ofcultivatedareahasbeenaffectedduetobreachofprotectionbundsandfloodsinTawiRiver.Some of the areas on which paddy and other Kharif crops weregrownhavebeentotallywashedaway.Thelandhasbeenconvertedintoa riverbedandsilt, sandandstoneshavedepositedona largecultivatedarea."Vegetables particularly hybrids and cauliflower sown by farmershavebeencompletelydestroyedduetoheavyandcontinuousrains",Jamwalsaid.Vegetableswhicharesownearlylikeradishandknol-kholhavebeendamaged in Nai Basti, Marh, Gajansoo Kana Chak and Panjoreareas,hesaid.

crops was huge as areas, which were supplying vegetables toJammucity,arenowunsuitableforcultivation.Many pumpsets and cattle sheds have also been damaged andwashed away due to the flood waters besides irrigation channels.TheDirector, after visiting the affected areas at KotheyManhasan,Nai basti, Kana Chak and Panjore, has instructed the field staff toidentify thedamagedpatchesandcarryout detaileddocumentationofthecropsandtheareasdamaged.Palmoil importdefaultunl ikelydespitepricefal l MUMBAI: The sharp fall in international prices of palm oil, one ofIndia's biggest imports after crude oil and gold, triggered fears thatIndian importerswould default on their purchase commitments, likethey did in the past, but a leading industry authority said this isunlikely.Thepriceofcrudepalmoil(CPO),thelargestimportedvegetableoil,has fallen by around $100-120 a tonne over the past twomonths.Duringthisperiod,crudepalmoil,whichistradedonMalaysianmulti-asset class bourse BursaMalaysia, hit a five-and-a-halfyear low of1,914ringgit.Thoughpriceshave recovered from the low toaround2,153 ringgiton Thursday, concerns over further imports in the pipeline fromMalaysiaandIndonesiaspookedafewmarketstakeholderswhofearthe likelihood of huge import defaults, similar to what happened in2008-09.But Dorab Mistry, director of Godrej International, and a globallyrespected authority on the subject of vegetable oil have discountedthis. "The fall of $100-120 is not a problem for big, well-financedIndianimporters,"Mistrysaid.