Category Archives: Agriculture

This Telugu IFA-funded documentary follows women farmers

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All
A still from the documentary ‘Songs of our soil’  

Mumbai-based researcher Aditi Maddali’s film ‘Songs Of Our Soil’ places women farmers of Telangana at the frontline of agrarian rights and agriculture futures

There is a pivotal moment in the documentary Songs Of Our Soil, in which woman farmer Suguna approaches an agriculture meeting and asks, “what about us?” This scene is one of Aditi Maddali’s most meaningful moments in a film which took almost three years to bring together. The film observes the subversive histories of women, like Suguna, in the fight against oppressive societal structures in Telangana through uyyala songs. “You do see these women contemplate their place in society,” observes Aditi.

The Telugu title of the film is Pani Pata Poratam. Aditi began looking at songs primarily from the political movements space; while she was working she started understanding how intricately linked these songs are with politics and land. She noticed agriculture was at the centre of everything, but they were still songs in the movements space.

Aditi Maddala  

In fact, the film’s ideologies refer as far back as the Telangana People’s Struggle of 1948 to 1951, and these songs became part of the movement when a large number of women from marginalised socio-economic backgrounds joined to fight, particularly given land ownership is largely a ‘man’s game.’

Having done research on the project since 2016, it was initially just an idea for Aditi. She hadn’t had funding back then either, she recalls, adding that it was a rather under-researched area, being a sentence in an academic paper at most. “I applied to places for funding saying I wanted to make a podcast series on this,” Aditi explains, “and I got government funding initially but when there was a funders’ meet, I was asked to include devotional songs because uyyala songs are also religious; I was asked to shoot film. It did not work out, though, because my mandate was not around devotional songs and they were unwilling to increase my budget. So I walked out of that agreement.”

A still from the documentary  

In 2017, she started working with Indian Foundation for the Arts who provided great value to her research. With very little research done into this subject, the placement of these songs have not been solidified. Language was one of the most prominent points for Aditi. “The language in these songs is so different! If you look at the songs from the Left Movement, they are all in dialogue form with the prime articulation,” she avers.

It was important for Aditi to understand the right grounding for the term ‘uyyala’ itself, which literally means ‘swing’ but indicates ‘to sleep’ but also ‘awakening.’ Having that concrete appreciation was valuable to the film and this is different between the different generations of farmers with whom Aditi spent long amounts of time during production.

When it came to the end of documentary production, Aditi was stuck on how the film should end — a challenge, given there is no real end to the subject matter. “Those who watch the film may see that the film ends rather abruptly,” she says. But the ongoing fight, she comments, does not.

(A screening and a discussion on Songs Of Our Soil will be held at Lamakaan on September 27, 7 pm.)

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Divya Kala Bhavani / September 27th, 2019

TS seeks German support in setting up seed park

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All, World Opinion

Telangana emerging as seed bowl of the country with about 400 seed companies based in the State

The Telangana government has requested the officials of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture to extend technological support in establishing the seed park at Banda Mylaram in 150 acres.

The request was made to a delegation of the German Federal Ministry including officials of the Indo-German (seed) Cooperation Project visiting the State. Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy, Principal Secretary C. Parthasarathi, Commissioner Rahul Bojja, Director of Marketing G. Lakshmi Bai, and Director of Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority K. Keshavulu had a meeting with the visiting delegation.

A bilateral agreement was also signed by Telangana and German Federal Ministry for the development of seed sector in the State. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Niranjan Reddy said Telangana was emerging as the seed bowl of the country with about 400 seed companies based in the State and doing a business to the tune of ₹ 5,000 crore with the help of 1.5 lakh skilled labour in seed production.

Giving a powerpoint presentation to the visiting delegation, Mr. Parthasarathi said high quality hybrid seed of paddy, jowar and maize was being produced in the State and even the seed produced in other States was being processed and stored here due to the most conducive conditions. The Indo-German seed project was also extended for three more years recently, he noted.

Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture Michael Stubgen said there was huge scope for food processing sector too in Telangana and they were ready to cooperate in that area too. He invited the Agriculture Minister to visit Germany for studying the agriculture sector there.

Director of TSSOCA Mr. Keshavulu asked the German delegates to attend the International Seed Testing Association congress being organised here in June-July this year. President of National Seed Association of India M. Prabhakar Rao and others participated.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities > Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – March 26th, 2019

IICT scientist to head CSIR’s only north east lab

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

G. Narahari Sastry 

‘The institute has made a big difference to the area through its research and by introducing about 100 tecnologies’

“It is the only lab of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in north east at Jorhat in Assam that is involved in multifarious scientific activities. I feel proud to be heading an institute that is soon to celebrate its diamond jubilee,” said G. Narahari Sastry, the newly appointed director of North East Institute of Science and Technology (NEIST).

Dr. Sastry, 53, who was with CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) since 2002 heading the Centre for molecular modelling, has just taken over and was here for a conference when he told The Hindu about his new ‘institute of eminence’ and the direction he intends to take it forward.

North East is blessed with abundance of natural resources like varied flora and fauna, minerals, natural gas, petroleum, aromatic and medicinal plants and hence, NEIST is targeted to undertake research in those areas. “The institute has been dealing with chemicals, agro-technology, geotechnical and other studies spread on a sprawling campus of 400 acres. It already has an excellent record and has made a big difference to the area through its research and by introducing about 100 technologies,” he said.

Dr. Sastry said emphasis will be on fundamental and translational research of applying basic biology and clinical trials to address critical societal health needs through drug discovery, environment care and sustainable development.

With a PG degree in chemistry from Osmania University and Ph.D from University of Hyderabad, he moved to ‘bio-informatics’ during his teaching stint with Puducherry university. His research is on employing artificial intelligence and machine learning to integrate with bioinformatics in developing disease-specific web portals and delineating disease biology in the area of healthcare.

“Seventy per cent of my research work deals with biology combining computational mathematics and AI. The government’s directive now is while excellence is good, science should be relevant to the people and improve their quality of living,” says Dr. Sastry.

A Shanthi Swarup Bhatnagar Award winner in chemical sciences in 2011, he has been a visiting professor for universities in Japan, Germany and United States.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by V. Geetanath / Hyderabad – March 04th, 2019

Mahua savouries from tribal kitchens to hit markets

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All

D. Divya

Move to help indigenous people protect their culture

A revival of pristine Adivasi customs and traditions cannot be envisaged without including the irp marra or mahua tree (Madhuca indica) in the scheme of things.

Therefore, the new plan of the Adilabad district administration, perhaps the first of its kind in the country, to help indigenous people protect their culture hinges on plantation of mahua and introduction of the lesser known tasty savouries and eatables made out of the flowers of the sacred tree in the headquarter town, in near future.

“The food items coming out of the kitchens of aboriginal people have good shelf life and will be packaged and sold at the Prakruti store for organic vegetables in Collectorate Chowk,” Adilabad Collector D. Divya revealed.

There will also be an attempt towards getting the ethnic people to manufacture the famous heady brew from mahua flowers, the ippa sara or irp kal, aimed at weaning them away from the more dangerous Indian Made Foreign Liquor and marketing it sometime in the future, on the lines of the experiment in Bastar of Chhattisgarh.

“There certainly is more to mahua tree than the heady brew distilled from its flowers. It is the source of nutritious supplementary food and some potential economic activity for tribal people besides yielding fodder to the animals,” opined tribal teacher Kanaka Rao Ambaji from Marlavai in Jainoor mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district.

Mahua trees come into bloom between latter half of March and April. Each tree sheds its flowers in the morning every day, over a period of 15 to 20 days and yields about 1.5 quintals to 2 quintals.

The customary puja is performed under the tree after the festival of holi, called duradi in Gondi, following which women and children collect the flowers. The collection is done at dawn and the flowers are subsequently put out to dry.

“The dried up flowers are roasted, made into balls or laddus called eruk gola, and used as a snack or stuffed into a roti. Other eatables are also made by roasting the dried up flowers with sesame and sunflower seed, besides the rarely found khade and churchal seeds,” Durva Nagubai, a Raj Gond elder, listed out some names of traditional supplementary food items.

“We will also sell the edible oil extracted from the kernel of mahua seed,’ the Collector disclosed. The practice of using mahua oil, called eruk niy, in preparation of food is almost lost,” she pointed out.

“Among other eatables which are made of the mahua flowers is the eruk jawa or gruel which is served when receiving the barat. Also, the gum of the tree, eruk chikada, is used to trap birds and small animals while the wood from a dead tree is used to make traditional musical instruments like a dhol,” Mr. Ambaji stated.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by S. Harpal Singh / Adilabad – February 26th, 2019

Boy’s invention to be adopted by Civil Supplies Dept.

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

Paddy filling machines, if successful, to be installed at all procurement centres

A class VIII boy’s ingenious invention is set to be adopted by the Civil Supplies Department at its Paddy Procurement Centres (PPCs) on a pilot basis.

A prototype of a paddy filling machine, used to fill paddy into bags, would be adopted with minor tweaks and installed at select PPCs. If successful, they would be installed at all the centres across the State, Civil Supplies Commissioner Akun Sabharwal said in a statement here on Saturday.

Abhishek, studying in Zilla Parishad High School at Hanumajipet village in Vemulawada mandal of Rajanna-Sircilla district, has already received accolades and prizes for his invention at Inspire Science Exhibition at regional and national levels.

On Saturday, he met Mr. Sabharwal along with his parents Rajavva and Lakshmi Rajyam, and his school principal, and received a gift of ₹10,000 and a robot doll from the Commissioner.

Mr. Sabharwal said the machine, with a few changes, would be very useful for farmers. The machine’s capacity could be increased from 20 kilograms to 40-45 kg by increasing its width, he said. If successful, the machine would replace four workers.

Naming it Vari Abhishekam, Mr. Sabharwal directed the officials concerned to initiate the process of obtaining patent for the machine on behalf of the Telangana government. In another major initiative, the Civil Supplies Department would introduce e-weighing machines at warehouses with the capacity of five tonnes, starting from the coming rabi season. The department is aiming to implement the same State-wide starting from the next khariff.

The e-weighing machines would be installed at 170 warehouses across the State, to ensure that the commodities are supplied to fair price shop dealers with correct weight. Inspecting the performance of the machines at Met Weigh India Factory at Cherlapalli on Saturday, Mr. Sabharwal said the machines would be available at all the godowns by March 31.

The machines would be linked to the Command Control Centre at Civil Supplies Bhavan and also to the Mini Command Control Centres in the districts, where live weighing can be viewed.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – February 23rd, 2019

A KCR helms the State, another graces Karimnagar’s plate

Agriculture, Leaders, Records, All

A formerly rare variety of cucumber which was grown at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse at Erravalli in Gajwel district has taken Karimnagar by storm.


KCR keera dosa sells at `40 per kg in Karimnagar| Express

Karimnagar :

A formerly rare variety of cucumber which was grown at Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s farmhouse at Erravalli in Gajwel district has taken Karimnagar by storm. The rather unremarkable vegetable christened KCR keera dosa by the local populace has now become a staple in every household here, with people preferring the chief minister’s namesake to the local variety which is at least 25 per cent cheaper  

The local variety costs Rs 30 a kilo,  while KCR keera dosa has a going rate of Rs 40 per kg. Sriramula Srinivas, a vegetable vendor, said he sells over 1 quintal of KCR keera dosa everyday. “KCR keera dosa is very tasty and does not have seeds, so people prefer this to the local fare,” he explained. What’s more, locals just don’t seem to be getting enough of the cucumber, with the vegetable being brought in from other districts as well.

“It is certainly good. We like it. I think it will become popular across the State soon,” T Laxmi, a homemaker, told Express while purchasing the cucumber from a market here.Its popularity is such that farmers are now importing seeds from the Netherlands where the vegetable grows in large numbers. Orders can be placed online — a pack of 1,000 seeds costs Rs 8,500.  

And it’s healthy too!

KCR keera dosa has higher water content than the local variety and is much softer. It’s free of seeds, more or less uniform in size and doesn’t taste bitter like the local fare at times does. However, the variety can be grown only in poly houses, not farms.

Locals ditch homegrown variety for KCR keera

The vegetable christened KCR keera dosa by the local populace has now become a staple in every household in Karimnagar, with people preferring KCR keera to the local variety which is at least 25 per cent cheaper

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Naveen Kumar Tallam / Express News Service / February 15th, 2019

Powering through challenges to reach a unique half-century

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology

TS-Transco chairman and managing director completes 50 years of service in power utilities today

Putting in 50 years of service in a public sector organisation with an unblemished record all along is no mean task, more so when 27 years out of that are spent in holding key executive positions in power utilities that are directly linked to almost every household.

However, for Devulapalli Prabhakar Rao, the chairman and managing director of TS-Genco and TS-Transco since the formation of Telangana State, it has been a smooth journey except for some “occupational hazards” linked to every responsibility.

He has been the Man Friday to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in tackling severe power shortage, one of the major fallouts of the bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh.

Efficiency in functioning of the power utilities of Telangana was under scrutiny of general public and also those in power from the day of State formation as it was one of the first challenges faced by the State government with farmers taking to the streets demanding supply of power to save the standing crops.

“We could overcome the problem and reached a position of supplying seven-hour power to the farm sector within six months with support of the government, particularly the Chief Minister,” says Mr. Prabhakar Rao recollecting the challenges he faced in the initial days of State formation what with 2,700 MW shortage of power compared to the demand.

“Industrialists taking to the streets, demanding adequate quality power supply was the position we inherited from combined AP,” he points out.

With a three-pronged strategy for overcoming the immediate power shortage with spot, short-term and medium-term power purchase linkages, improving the efficiency of power generation units of State utilities, and going for long-term power purchase agreements and capacity addition in power generation, the State overcame the problem of power shortage before the turn of one year.

“Power cuts were lifted for domestic, commercial and industrial sectors and nine-year supply was given to farm sector from November 20, 2014, itself. From January 1, 2018, Telangana became the first State in the country to provide uninterrupted free power supply to even the farm sector having over 23 lakh pump-sets,” Mr. Prabhakar Rao says, describing it one of the proud moments of his career.

Starting his career as a junior accounts officer on February 10, 1969, Mr. Prabhakar Rao became the financial adviser and chief controller of accounts in 1992 in the then AP State Electricity Board. He was elevated as board member (Accounts) in 1998 and it was, in fact, the first time when a non-IAS and non-engineering background official was given such an opportunity.

“My successful career of 50 years in the power utilities has been a possibility only with the support of all employees,” he says, adding that there were some minor aberrations when he had to quit first in 1991 and later in 2002 due to professional differences with his peers but it was thanks to the support the organisation as a team offered that helped him power ahead.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by B. Chandrasekhar / Hyderabad – February 09th, 2019

Working all alone, woman farmer scripts history

Agriculture, Amazing Feats, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Rupireddy Laxmi at her field.   | Photo Credit: K M Dayashankar r

School dropout impresses scientists

A woman farmer from the interior Kondapalkala village of Manakondur mandal scripted history and emerged a role model.

She cultivated paddy without engaging farm labourers — be it for tilling the soil, removing weeds or any other related activity. She adopted innovative farming techniques and reaped a bumper harvest compared to other farmers who employed farmhands.

Adversity to opportunity

Meet Rupireddy Laxmi, a native of Kondapalkala village, who had dropped out of school after class 5. But she received appreciation from scientists of the agricultural university, Krishi Vignana Kendra, and others. For the last four and a half years, she has been cultivating paddy single-handedly on her 12 acres of land. Ms. Laxmi only sprinkles paddy, which is kept wet for one day on the field. Her cultivation technique have reduced the use of fertilizers and pesticides and also water consumption. She sprays pesticides only to avoid growth of weeds on the field.

The idea of taking up paddy cultivation by sprinkling seed occurred to Ms. Laxmi when there was acute shortage of labourers in the village. So, she did it all by herself, and saved an average of ₹ 6,000 to ₹7,000 per acre in the process. Moreover, when other farmers harvested 40 to 45 bags of paddy per acre by adopting the normal form of cultivation, she could reap 55 bags, much to their dismay.

Labour of love

Inspired by her innovative farming techniques, more than 10 farmers of the village had adopted the Ms. Laxmi’s techniques since the last kharif season and reaped more. Incidentally, her husband Tirupathi Reddy had taught her driving of tractor, two-wheeler and car and tilling operations. Recently, this progressive woman farmer purchased a luxury car, following a bumper harvest. Talking to The Hindu on Sunday, Ms. Laxmi said farmers could reap riches if they enjoyed the profession. “If there is no zeal to do cultivation, then the farmer cannot become a king by securing a good harvest,” she says boldly. Ms. Laxmi feeling proud of her herself is well-deserved as agricultural scientists invited her to various agricultural research stations in the State for displaying and sharing her techniques.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by K. M. Dayashankar / Karimnagar – January 13th, 2019

For producing dry fish of impeccable quality

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

An NIRDPR team demonstrating the working of solar-powered hybrid dehydrators to fisherwomen from Telangana at a workshop held on its campus in Hyderabad recently.

NIRDPR’s Rural Technology Park develops solar-powered dehydrators

The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR)’s Rural Technology Park has developed solar-powered hybrid dehydrators to produce dry quality fish under hygienic conditions. This technology would help pack and seal fish in pouches, which is likely to fetch a better price for fishermen.

The institute and its technology partner have decided to train 4,000 fishermen from across the country in adopting modern technologies to improve catch and reduce wastage in collaboration with the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB).

“We have also developed a fish bone separator keeping in view the demand for higher quantity of fish, which will increase productivity among fishermen community,” said NIRDPR Deputy Director Radhika Rastogi and NFDB Chief Executive I. Rani Kumudini on Friday.

About 150 fisherwomen from Telangana were trained during a one-day workshop-cum-demonstration held at the institute last week as part of ‘Rastriya Mahila Kisan Diwas’, supported by Commissioner of Fisheries C. Suvarna, they said.

RTP Project Director Ramesh Sakthivel urged the Fisheries Departments of all the States to take advantage of the training facilities available at the institute. The institute was also exploring options to conduct such trainings at different places to reach out to more people.

Technologies such as solar hybrid dehydrators, designed chilling chambers, freezers, mobile moped-mounted freezers and ice machines that are user-friendly, compact with high quality materials, and of low maintenance, have been developed at the RTP.

Leftover catch fish after selling can be stored in chilled chambers to avoid spoilage of fish, and can be transported to various destinations through moped mounted freezer.

Fisherwomen, who took part in the training programme, expressed keen interest in the newly-developed technologies and some fishermen societies have even agreed to install chilling chambers for preservation of fish, he claimed.

The RTP has, in fact, developed several new approaches for promoting hygienic ways of handling, preserving and drying fish, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – October 26th, 2018

Italy-based firm launches products to improve row crops’ yield

Agriculture

To be sold through select dealers in south India

Valagro, an Italy-based company engaged in the production and commercialisation of plant biostimulants and speciality nutrients, launched two new products for the Indian market to help improve the quality and productivity of row crops, particularly paddy and cotton, here on Saturday.

Launching the two products – Opifol, a combination of macro and micro nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and zinc characterised by rapid intake, and YieldOn, a biostimulant with plant and algae extracts that stimulates specific biological activity to spur yield –, Valagro country manager Luca Fornara said, “The two products will offer a greater return on investment, combining productivity, quality and sustainability in row crop farming”.

They would not only improve the quality and productivity of row crops, but would increase the income of farmers with higher production and goes in tune with the Indian government’s plans to double farmers’ income by 2020, Mr. Fornara said. The two products are particularly designed to increase the yield of paddy and cotton, although they are highly useful for soyabean, maize, wheat and sunflower as well.

Stating that the products were already released in Brazil, France and the U.S.A., the Valagro executive said they would be most useful in increasing the production of row crops in India as their average productivity here was 20% less compared to the world average. Besides, they would also help bridge the gap between the demand for food crops and their production during 2000-2030 period in India.

He said they would sell the two products through select dealers in south India, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh to begin with, and after stablising here for three years, they would expand to north India.

Product development managers of Valagro explained that the average productivity of paddy was 40% lesser compared to China and 20% less worldwide as it was 3.7 tonnes per hectare in India against 6.9 tonnes in China and 4.6 tonnes worldwide. Similarly, cotton yield was 70% below China and 40% less compared to the world average as it was 0.5 tonnes per hectare in India against 1.7 tonnes in China and 0.8 tonnes worldwide.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – August 04th, 2018