BioVoice News February 2017 Issue 9 Volume 1 | Page 51

sowing to harvesting. They will be trained by the experts from ICAR-IARI and adopt the latest technology available. Complete farming will be done in the supervision of those experts only. The scope will include a variety of crops as per the cropping pattern of the area. This will be a three years agreement.
“ We are glad to announce our MoU with ICAR-IARI. This will help the farming community to improve and maximize its output. In India, many farmers still follow traditional farming and are not able to fully utilise the resources available to them. It is imperative for us to help farmers and impart knowledge regarding best agricultural techniques and train them to increase their yield,” said Mr Rajesh Aggarwal, Managing Director, IIL.
INDIAN DELEGATION LED BY RM SINGH ATTEND G-20 AGRICULTURE MINISTERS MEETING IN BERLIN
Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Mr Radha Mohan Singh lead a five-member delegation to Germany for participation in the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture from 19-21 January, 2017. Mr Singh who departed for Berlin in the late night of 18 th January also attended the G-20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting on 22 nd January, 2017.
The Global Forum for Food and Agriculture is an International Conference organized by Germany during 19-21, January 2017 in Berlin on the subject“ Agriculture and Water – Key to Feeding the World” was attended by Agriculture Ministers of 65 countries. G-20 Agriculture Ministers meeting, scheduled for January 22, 2017 focused on the theme of“ Agriculture & Water- Digitalization in the Agriculture Sector” and bring together Ministers from the world’ s twenty biggest economies to discuss the way ahead for the global agricultural sector.
During the visit, Mr Singh highlighted India’ s initiatives in the areas of Agriculture and Water including such flagship programme as Soil Health Card scheme and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana( PMKSY) for improving soil fertility and water use efficiency to achieve‘ more crop per drop’ in a focused manner and extending the coverage of precision irrigation‘ Har Khet Ko Pani.
INDIA TO WORK CLOSELY WITH PORTUGAL & KENYA IN AGRICULTURE, ITS ALLIED SECTORS
The union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on January 04, 2016, has given its approval for signing of an agreement for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors between India and Portugal. In another move, the cabinet also approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding( MoU) between India and Kenya on bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
The agreement covers various activities in these fields which include exchange of scientific and technical information, trade in plants and plant products, exchange of information in phytosanitary issues, training programmes, seminars and visits of experts and consultants. Partnership provides constitution of a Joint Working Group comprising of representatives from both countries, the task of which would be to monitor the implementation of the present MoU and making concrete proposals for agriculture cooperation and develop guidelines and priorities for future cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
Agriculture ministry takes steps to promote cashless transactions
The ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare has taken several decisions to promote cashless transactions in the entire country. It was decided in the meeting of higher officers of Department of Agriculture Research and Indian Council for Agricultural Research( ICAR) in the ministry that awards will be given to the institutes, KVKs and universities for cashless transactions under specific time limits.

Ministry has decided that award of Rs 5 lakh meant for ICAR and a sum of Rs 1 lakh to KVK will be given for achieving 100 percent cashless in a week. Similarly, ICAR will be bestowed upon Rs 3 lakh and KVK Rs 50,000 in the form of incentives on achieving 100 percent cashless within two weeks and similarly for cashless within a span of 3 weeks, ICAR will be awarded Rs 2 lakh and KVK Rs 25,000 as prize. agriculture

BIOVOICENEWS. COM 49