“ The ecological damage is staggering that the Indian government has eventually banned this species from culturing and selling . Our lab has designed a molecular assay utilising eDNA to specifically detect this invasive catfish in Indian ecosystems , which is affordable and quick , and will be a very useful tool in conservation management ,” said ,” Dr Govindhaswamy Umapathy , Senior Principal Scientist of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology ( CSIR-CCMB ). Dr Umapathy hoped that the pilot study will serve as a foundation to map the distribution of invasive Clarias gariepinus and also as a useful tool to inform management authorities for timely control and regular monitoring of this species .
AGRICULTURE IS CENTRAL TO THE INDIAN IDENTITY : VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President , Jagdeep Dhankhar has underlined that agriculture is central to the Indian identity and its prosperity . Addressing a gathering during the inauguration of CII Agro Tech -2022 in Chandigarh , he said that sustainability and food security go hand in hand . “ There cannot be long term food security without sustainable agricultural practices ,” he stressed .
Mr Dhankhar , who was on his maiden tour to Chandigarh after taking over as the Vice President , described agriculture as a tradition and a way of life in India . Referring to the strides made during the past 75 years in the field of agriculture , he stressed the need to adapt our agriculture according to new requirements and new challenges in coming years . “ Innovation should become the key driver of agricultural growth and our farmers should have protection against climate change and price fluctuations ,” he added .
NATIONAL FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT BOARD AWARDED INDIA AGRIBUSINESS AWARDS 2022
National Fisheries Development Board ( NFDB ), Hyderabad under the Department of Fisheries , Ministry of Fisheries , Animal Husbandry and Dairying , is one of the organizations to be awarded with “ India Agribusiness Awards 2022 ” for the best Agribusiness Award under Fisheries Sector for the exemplary work done in fisheries sector .
Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture ( ICFA ), an Indian Government body on technical collaborations with large number of national and international industrial associations and related organizations organized “ Agro World 2022 ” – India International Agro Trade and Technology Fair – 2022 from November 9-11 , 2022 at Indian Agriculture Research Institute ,
Pusa Campus , New Delhi for showcasing the development and modernizations achieved by key stakeholders in major sectors like food , agriculture , horticulture , animal husbandry , fisheries and allied sectors .
INDIA JOINS MANGROVE ALLIANCE FOR CLIMATE
Union Minister for Environment , Forest , and Climate Change , Bhupender Yadav has said that India is home to one of the world ’ s largest remaining areas of mangroves- the Sundarbans and has extensive experience in mangrove restoration that can be used to aid global measures . He was speaking at the Mangrove Alliance for Climate ( MAC ) launch event , held on the side-lines of the ongoing COP 27 , at Sharm El-Sheikh , Egypt .
India is among the first five countries to join the MAC , other than Australia , Japan , Spain , and Sri Lanka . The action aims to scale up and accelerate the conservation and restoration of the mangrove forests . The country has adopted three strategies for management of mangrove forests : promotion , regulatory , and participatory . As per the 2021 India State of Forest Report , the states that show gain in mangrove cover are Odisha ( 8 sq . km ) and Maharashtra ( 4 sq . km ). The country has mangrove forests along more than 30 % of its coastline . Nearly 50 % of the country ’ s mangrove forests are in the Sundarbans . This region is home to 58 species of mammals , 55 species of reptiles , and around 248 bird species , along with a human population of 12 million in the greater Sundarbans region .
Ministry of Environment , Forest and Climate Change , Govt of India , has taken several steps to protect , sustain , conserve , and augment forests in the country through promotional as well as regulatory measures . “ India has committed in its NDC ( Nationally Determined Contribution ) – to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030 ,” Bhupender Yadav said .
ADVANTA SEEDS AND BUNGE PLAN TO ACQUIRE A COMBINED 40 % STAKE IN SEEDCORP
UPL Limited , a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions , has announced that its company , Advanta Seeds UK , plans to acquire a 20 % stake each in SEEDCORP | HO . This intended investment is part of UPL Group ' s OpenAg purpose to drive collaboration to offer a complete package company ' s commitment to supporting every stage of the agricultural process , from sowing to post-harvest . Through the agreement , Bunge intends to expand its barter portfolio to reinforce its grain sourcing position in Brazil .
Bhupen Dubey , CEO of Advanta Seeds said : " As we continue to grow our global footprint , this investment will not o strengthen our product portfolio as SeedCorp | HO is Brazil ' s third largest Soybean Germplasm company .”
Rossano de Angelis , Junior Vice President of Agribusiness at Bunge , said : " With this transaction we will further solidify planning . Combined with our technical expertise and market knowledge , we will be able to advise on the adoption o meeting the demand for more sustainable solutions with a focus on reducing the carbon footprint . The deal also expands the portfolio of products and services to be offered by Orígeo , a recently announced joint ve complete and sustainable solutions for farmers in Brazil .” Mário Sérgio Carvalho , CEO of SEEDCORP | HO , said : " SEEDCORP | HO has achieved strong results over the last financial year . UPL ' s Advanta Seeds has the potential to further strengthen our growth strategy thanks to our robust portfolio .”
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