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Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Embrace tech for sustainable agriculture: Cheluvarayaswamy
Mandya: Change is the law of nature, and the traditional mindset that agriculture equates to hard labour, debt, and losses must be abandoned, said district minister N Cheluvarayaswamy. He emphasised that by embracing technology and modern agricultural machinery, farmers can achieve financial stability and sustainable growth. Speaking at the inauguration of a special technical workshop on sugarcane, paddy, and ragi cultivation—from sowing to marketing—at the Agricultural College, VC Farm in Mandya on Wednesday, the minister highlighted Mandya's strong agricultural roots. He noted that agricultural scientists and institutions are introducing innovative methods to boost productivity and profitability. "Growing the same crop continuously depletes soil nutrients and reduces yields," he warned. To combat this, he recommended a simple crop rotation strategy: divide a 3-acre plot into three sections, cultivate different crops in each, and rotate them annually. He acknowledged farmers' hesitation in adopting new techniques but suggested implementing them on a trial basis on a portion of their land. "Once they see the benefits, they can expand these practices to their entire holdings," he added. Cheluvarayaswamy also addressed the issue of marketing. "While crops like paddy and ragi take around six months to mature, marketing starts immediately after harvest—often directly from the fields," he said. He urged farmers to focus on value addition techniques to maximise their earnings. To tackle the labour shortage in agriculture, he announced that the govt has allocated Rs 1,000 crore for agricultural mechanisation . As part of this initiative, Rs 40 lakh subsidy is being offered for high-tech harvesting machines , benefiting around 350 farmers so far. In a significant development, a new agricultural university has been approved for Mandya, to be modelled after GKVK (University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru). Operations are expected to begin within three years. "Its impact and importance will become increasingly evident in the coming days," he stated. Joint director of agriculture Ashok shared insights into the district's key crops—sugarcane, ragi, and paddy. He noted that advanced techniques are being introduced to improve yields. For instance, farmers are using 'five-eye' and 'single-eye' sugarcane varieties for better productivity. Under the NREGA scheme, high-quality ragi suitable for export is now being cultivated on 2,000 hectares. To address labour shortages in paddy transplanting, workers are being sourced from outside the district, although some farmers have already started using mechanised transplanting methods. A special bi-monthly technical workshop is being organised to raise awareness and promote these modern practices among more farmers. Deputy commissioner Kumara, zilla panchayat CEO KR Nandini, SP Mallikarjun Baladandi, agricultural university special officer Harini Kumar, VC Farm dean Dr Fatima, agricultural scientists, and a large gathering of farmers were present.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Coconut farmers in Madurai flag pest attack, officials say it is not widespread
MADURAI: Coconut farmers across Madurai are grappling with severe Rugose Spiralling Whitefily (RSWF) pest attack, which has significantly reduced yield. The farmers have urged the Tamil Nadu government to conduct a detailed study on the issue to prevent it from further spreading in the district. However, the horticulture department has downplayed the situation, claiming that the impact is minimal in the district. Coconut cultivation spans approximately 10,200 hectares in the district. Over the past few months, the RSWF pest has reportedly infested several part of Madurai, with farmers alleging crop damage despite awareness programmes conducted by the horticulture department. Speaking to TNIE, N Arun, a coconut farmer from Kottampatti said, 'Four years ago, such pest attack was reported and now from old trees to six-month-old plants have been again affected by the RSWF pests. Usually, we would harvest coconut eight times a year, but this year we can hardly harvest three times. Proper study has to be done and preventive measures have to be taken to address this issue.' Arun also pointed out the financial burden of suggested pest control methods. 'Using yellow sticky traps and other solutions costs around Rs 200–350. The government should offer subsidies to help farmers adopt these measures,' he added. However, the horticulture department officials stated that there is no major outbreak caused and the department is conducting block level awareness programmes to emphasise the farmers about the preventive measures to control the pest issues. Dr K Suresh, Associate Professor of Entomology at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Agricultural College, Madurai, confirmed the presence of RSWF in parts of the district. 'The pest has particularly affected dwarf and hybrid varieties more than tall coconut trees. These sap-sucking insects feed on the leaves and weaken the trees. It is a preventable pest and farmers can install yellow sticky traps in trees, use water spray in lower leaf and use 5 ml of Neem oil spray to prevent the pest attack.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Pink e-rickshaws to provide feeder services for Pune Metro, airport and important transit points: Ajit Pawar
Pune: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar announced on Monday that pink e-rickshaws will be granted feeder service status at Metro stations, airports and tourist destinations across Maharashtra. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking at the Agricultural College grounds in Shivajinagar on Monday, Pawar highlighted two benefits of the initiative. "The scheme will create livelihood opportunities and enhance women's confidence and safety. The vehicles will soon serve as crucial feeder services at major transit points," he said. The first phase aims to distribute 10,000 pink e-rickshaws across eight cities — including Pune, Pimpri and Chinchwad, Nagpur, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kolhapur and Solapur. Under the scheme, women will receive a subsidy of Rs25,000 from central funds and Rs75,000 from the state — with the remaining cost of around 70% being covered through bank financing. Women and child development minister Aditi Tatkare said at the function that Pune district has been allocated 4,000 e-rickshaws with 60 already being distributed to women from Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Comprehensive training programmes have been implemented to ensure sustainability of the initiative. "We're planning over 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations across Pune," Tatkare said. "Additionally, we will finalise agreements with private operators to integrate these vehicles with their platform, creating safer last-mile options for women travellers." Deputy speaker Dr Neelam Gorhe encouraged women to take the opportunity and suggested that schools consider the vehicles for student transportation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She emphasised the importance of including first-aid training for all drivers. Agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, state women's commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar and representatives from Kinetic Green, the vehicle manufacturer, were present at the event.
Hans India
21-04-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Swachh Andhra campaign held at Agricultural College
Rajamahendravaram: The Swachh Andhra campaign was organised at the Agricultural College here on Sunday under the jurisdiction of Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University. Speaking on the occasion, Associate Dean Dr D Srinivas urged students to actively maintain cleanliness in their surroundings, stressing that such efforts play a vital role in preventing the spread of diseases. He called upon every citizen to take cleanliness as a personal responsibility and urged students to raise awareness among others as well. Assistant Professor Dr D Gangadhar along with teaching and non-teaching staff and students actively participated in the campaign, reinforcing the collective commitment towards a cleaner environment.
