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Nano urea fast-tracked for approval despite incomplete trials

• Nano urea, a product developed by the Indian Farmers and Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO) and heavily advertised by the Central government as a panacea to reduce farmer dependence on packaged urea.
• Nano urea is a patented and indigenously made liquid that contains nanoparticles of urea, the most crucial chemical fertilizer for farmers in India.
• Minister of Health, Chemicals and Fertilizers Mansukh Mandaviya has claimed that by 2025, India’s domestic urea production as well as production of nano urea would together mean India would be “self-sufcient” and would no longer require the 90 lakh tonnes that it imported every year and would save the country close to ₹40,000 crore.

The USDA has approved a genetically modified purple tomato

• The tomato was developed by a team of scientists, including British biochemist Cathie Martin, who is a professor at the University of East Anglia and a project leader at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, England.
• These genetically modified tomatoes are rich of “anthocyanin” pigment.
• Cancer-prone mice that ate the purple tomatoes lived around 30% longer than those that ate normal tomatoes, according to the study.

KRITAGYA 3.0- A National level Hackathon on crop improvement by ICAR

• Indian Council of Agricultural Research with its National Agricultural Higher Education Project and Crop Science Division is organizing Hackathon 3.0 ‘’KRITAGYA” on promoting ‘speed breeding for crop improvement’.
• ICAR commenced NAHEP with the assistance of World Bank (WB) in November 2017. The overall objective of NAHEP is to support participating Agricultural Universities (AUs) and ICAR in providing more relevant and higher quality education to the students.

What is ‘’KRITAGYA”?

• KRI-TA-GYA explains, KRI for Krishi (Agriculture), TA for Taknik (Technology) and GYA for Gyan (Knowledge). This event will give an opportunity to the students / faculties / entrepreneurs / innovators and others to showcase their innovative approaches & technology solutions to promote speed breeding for crop improvement to ensure overall suiatanaibility and resilience in crop production in India. Such initiatives under NAHEP along with Crop Science Division of ICAR will also help in enhancing the learning capabilities, innovations and disruptive solutions, employability and entrepreneurial drive in the crop science sector.

Union Agriculture Minister inaugurates State Centre of Coconut Development Board at Junagarh, Gujarat

• The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today inaugurated the 6^th State Centre of Coconut Development Board at Junagadh in Gujarat. Shri Tomar also inaugurated the 24^th World Coconut Day celebrations.
• World Coconut Day is celebrated every year on 2nd September to commemorate the Foundation Day of the International Coconut Community (ICC).
• The main theme of World Coconut Day this year is – Cultivate coconut for a happy future and life

PM PRANAM (Promotion of Alternate Nutrients for Agriculture Management Yojana)

• The PM PRANAM scheme is in line with the government’s focus on promoting the balanced use of fertilizers or alternative fertilizers.
• Aim: The proposed scheme intends to reduce the subsidy burden on chemical fertilizers, which is expected to increase to Rs 2.25 lakh crore in 2022-2023, which is 39% higher than the previous year’s figure of Rs 1.62 lakh crore.

World Rose Day

• World Rose Day is annually celebrated on September 22 in dedication to the welfare of cancer patients.
• History: The World Rose Day was first observed in the honour of 12-year-old cancer patient Melinda Rose from Canada, who died in 1996. According to reports, Rose was diagnosed with Askin’s Tumour in 1994, which is a rare form of blood cancer. While doctors had said that she would only live for a few weeks, Melinda Rose went on to for over three years.

World Food Prize 2022

• World Food Prize Foundation announced the name of World Food Prize laureate 2022, Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig of the United States.
• Rosenzweig was selected for the award for her research to understand the relationship between climate and food systems and forecast how both will change in the future.

 International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)

• Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar at the inauguration of the 9th Session of Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, in New Delhi, on September 19, 2022.
• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), has adopted a resolution on implementation of farmers’ rights in about 150 member countries.

IARI organised Kisan Sampark Yatra to obtain farmers’ feedback of newly released IARI Basmati Varieties

• The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) organised the ‘Kisan Sampark Yatra’ during September 27-29 in the rice growing region of Haryana and Punjab to obtain farmers’ feedback on the three newly released IARI Basmati varieties. The IARI had distributed 1 kg per acre seeds of the newly developed disease resistant Basmati rice to farmers during the Krishi Vigya Mela held at Pusa, New Delhi earlier this year for cultivation.

NSC’s Organic Seed Farm in Morena

• Central Government has decided to establish a farm in Morena (MP) for the production of organic seeds by improving the land in the rugged area. For this, the M.P. Government has allotted 885.34 hectares of land in 4 villages (Gadora, Jakhauna, Rithora Khurd & Gorakha) of Morena to the Union Ministry of Agriculture.

First Advance Estimates of production of major kharif crops 2022-23

As per First Advance Estimates, the estimated production of major kharif crops for 2022-23 is as under:

• Food grains  –  149.92 million tonnes
  Rice  –  104.99  million tonnes
  Nutri / Coarse Cereals  –  36.56 million tonnes
  Maize  –  23.10 million tonnes (record)
  Pulses  –  8.37 million tonnes
  Tur  –  3.89 million tonnes.

• Oilseeds  –  23.57 million tonnes.
  Groundnut  –  8.37 million tonnes.
  Soyabean  –  12.89 million tonnes.
• Cotton  –  34.19 million bales (of 170 kg each)
• Jute  & Mesta – 10.09 million bales (of 180 kg each)

• Sugarcane – 465.05 million tonnes (record)

India’s first plant-based meat products under Vegan food category shipped to USA

• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Authority (APEDA) facilitated the export of first consignment of plant-based meat products under Vegan food category from Nadiad in Kheda district in Gujarat to California, the United States of America (USA).
• The first consignment of plant-based food products were exported by Greennest and Wholesome Foods.
• The first shipment that was exported to the USA from Nadiad has vegan food products like momos, mini samosas, patties, nuggets, spring rolls, burgers, etc. The logistics support was provided by the Kheda district administration.

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Agriculture Current Affairs – September 2022