News– Centre’s relaunched National Mission for Edible Oil-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to expand area under oil palm, largely in southern and north-eastern parts of the country. Recently ICAR also launched report on palm oil cultivation in India. What does ICAR study says about oil palm cultivation ICAR analysis shows oil palm cultivation requires less water than rice, banana and sugarcane. Thus, it will be a… Continue reading “58 Percent of Potential oil palm acreage identified in 5 states: ICAR study”
Tag: major crops and cropping patterns
NITI Aayog organises knowledge sharing workshop on Natural Farming
What is the News? Niti Aayog has organized a knowledge-sharing workshop on Natural Farming. What is Natural Farming? Natural Farming can be defined as “chemical-free farming and livestock-based”. It is a diversified farming system that integrates crops, trees and livestock, allowing the optimum use of functional biodiversity. Natural Farming has many indigenous forms in India, the… Continue reading NITI Aayog organises knowledge sharing workshop on Natural Farming
The future of vertical farming is brighter than once thought
Synopsis: The concept of vertical farming can fix several problems faced by conventional farms. Introduction AeroFarms is going to be the first vertical-farming startup to be listed on the Nasdaq in the next month after it completes a merger with Spring Valley Acquisition Corp. What is Vertical farming? It is a system for growing food… Continue reading The future of vertical farming is brighter than once thought
Staggered pricing: On cane pricing
Synopsis: The Government should avoid populist measures in cane pricing. Introduction Recently, Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) suggested to pay sugarcane prices to farmers in tranches and stop reserving cane areas for sugar mills. It has pros and cons that need to be weighed carefully. What are the other key suggestions given by… Continue reading Staggered pricing: On cane pricing
It can be symbolic of a new India that it will not let anyone starve in South Asia
Synopsis: India has reported surplus good grain production. Given the food crisis in the world and our neighbourhood, India can utilize food diplomacy to strengthen its soft power. Introduction The article highlights how India can adopt the US method of grain diplomacy, which can be a game-changer for India. What did the US do? In… Continue reading It can be symbolic of a new India that it will not let anyone starve in South Asia
What rising foodgrain output means for India
What is the news? Farm sector saw a growth of 4.5% in the first quarter of FY22 and a record food grain production of 150.5 million tones (mt) during the kharif season. It was due to the hard work of farmers and near normal monsoons. How important is food grain production? First, agriculture and its allied activities in FY21 contributed 20.2% to the Gross Value Addition (GVA)… Continue reading What rising foodgrain output means for India
Folk rice: Researchers spot a dozen Indian paddy varieties that can boost nourishment
What is the news? As per the recent study, 12 folk varieties of Indian rice can supplement the nutritional demand of important fatty acids in undernourished mothers. These can further supplement the arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in neonates through breast-feeding. DHA and ARA are fatty acids found in breast milk, as well… Continue reading Folk rice: Researchers spot a dozen Indian paddy varieties that can boost nourishment
Trading Orangutans for palm oil
Synopsis: Instead of implementing Oil Palm mission, the government can look to set up sanctuary for endangered animal species. Introduction One of the problematic items in economic and environmental terms in the Indian food basket is edible oil. India imports 60 per cent of its cooking oils, and more than half those imports are of… Continue reading Trading Orangutans for palm oil
Why Palm won’t fix India’s edible oil woes
Synopsis: India should focus on improving indigenous edible oil production rather than focusing on palm oil, that has many problems. What are the problems associated with oil palm crop? Reduces choices of farmers: Since, Palm is a long gestation crop, it reduces the responsiveness of farmers to changing market demand. For instance, farmers can switch… Continue reading Why Palm won’t fix India’s edible oil woes
Millets could help India mitigate malnutrition and climate change
Synopsis: India should incentivize the production of millets to enhance food security and score gains on climate resilience. Introduction In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets. It was proposed by India to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). How are millets significant for India? Environmental… Continue reading Millets could help India mitigate malnutrition and climate change
