Monthly Archives: September 2016

New turmeric variety to benefit State’s farmers

turmerictelan27sept2016

Hyderabad :

A variety of turmeric named Pitambar, which gives better yield and has more percentage of commercially viable curcumin, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Monday during the platinum jubilee celebrations of Council of Scientific and Industry Research (CSIR). Around 200 farmers from the two Telugu states attended the programme through video conferencing at IICT, Tarnaka.

With Telangana being one of the largest producers of turmeric, farmers are willing to adopt the variety, said C Parthasarathi, principal secretary of Agriculture Marketing and Co-Operation department. The seed variety would be handed over to farmers next year. After launch of the variety, two farmers from Andhra Pradesh who interacted with PM Modi through video conference, said they would adopt the variety.

“The pharmaceutical importance of turmeric is due to its curcuminoids which are credited with anti-inflammatory, hypo-cholesterolemic, anti-oxidant, anti-parasitic, anti-spasmodic, anti-microbial, anti-rheumatic, anti-aging and anti-cancer properties,” a note said. Since curcumin is the main molecule for the increasing demand of turmeric, several varieties of turmeric with ncreased curcumin content and rhizome biomass have been developed. While curcumin content in these varieties ranges from three to nine per cent, in the Pitambar variety, the percentage is around 12.5 per cent. Turmeric with high content of the chemical is preferred by European nations and North America.

“Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), a CSIR institute, did research for eight years to come out with the new variety. India produces 80 per cent of turmeric in the world. In the country, out of 4.5 lakh hectares where turmeric is cultivated, 1.30 lakh hectares is in Telangana,” Parthasarathi said after the PM launched the Pitambar variety. He said other varieties take around nine months for harvesting while Pitambar takes 180 to 190 days. Private industries which process turmeric will sell products at Spice Park in Nizamabad. “After processing the products, export and sale value will be more if curcumin content is more. To establish a relationship between the Spice Park and produce, improved varieties from Tamil Nadu have been brought. If Pitambar variety is brought and 12 per cent curcumin containing turmeric is produced, the park will have a good future,” Parthasarathi said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / September 27th, 2016

Dancing up to the peak-Vyshnavie Sainath

Vyshnavie Sainath
Vyshnavie Sainath

Her dance background gave her the strength to scale the 20850 ft high Stok-Kangri, says Vaishnavie Sainath

When the 12-hour climb to the peak took 20 hours, Vyshnavie Sainath’s mind and heart had begun to remember the disapproving comments from friends and acquaintances when she had announced her decision to trek to the Himalayas. But she quickly arrested those thoughts and focussed on what she had set out to achieve — reach the peak. When she succeeded, her heart was filled with inexplicable joy at reaching the peak and getting a first hand experience of the sight from the peak. Vyshnavie Sainath, the city-based dancer of Bharathanatyam, Odissi, Simhanandini, Kalari and contemporary forms summited the 20850 ft high Stok-Kangri and she is more than pleased with herself, minus the sunburned nose and cheeks.

“During the day it was quite hot but at night the temperature fell down to minus. The sun and the clear atmosphere left me with a sunburn. This sunburn is special, I have earned it,” she laughs.

The five-day trek began with this dancer and yoga practitioner. along with the team she was climbing with, making two stops at a base camp. “I took an extra day to get acclimatised to the weather, the thin air. To top it, the clear weather forecast suddenly became a snow blizzard and this being my first camp, I decided to stay back for an extra day. I wasn’t challenging anything, nor was my attempt to do the Himalayan Trek an attempt to prove anything to anyone. It was my decision to experience that moment at the trek and if I wanted to return at any point, I could have,” says the youngster.

She was not only excited but was sure of the atmosphere she would be introducing herself.

In the beginning, her body didn’t know what it was getting into. The altitude was high and so was the clean thin air. But something that she has been doing for several years came to her rescue. “Since I have been dancing for years and also practising yoga, my body had been silently accumulating the energy and stamina. Besides my regular dance and yoga sessions, I also designed a session of 2-3 hours to prepare myself, that involved cardio, yoga and other fitness routines. Dance also helped me keep my mind stable and not give in at the weak moments,” she explains.

Vaishnavie says that it’s her self-assessment and her calm mind made it all possible. “But just because I did it, I wouldn’t say it is easy. Self-assessment is a must and one has to prepare thoroughly before taking up such a challenge,” she suggests.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Metroplus / byPrabalika M. Borah / Vyshnavie-Sainath, Stok-Kangri / September 26th, 2016