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EXPERTS DISCUSS INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL
MECHANIZATION
The Union Minister of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare, Mr Radha Mohan
Singh inaugurated two-day Conference
on “Innovations in Agricultural
Mechanization – Development of
linkage among R&D Institutes - Industry
– Farmers” on July 07 at Vigyan
Bhawan, New Delhi.
During the plenary session, the eminent personalities in the
field of agricultural mechanization presented the latest
innovations and technological development in the agricultural
machinery and equipment. The national innovation foundation
has stressed upon the need for standardization of grass root
technologies developed by the rural innovators and artisans.
The technology developed in the R&D systems of ICAR and
private sectors have been shown to the farmers and the
Government officials for their promotion and popularization.
In his inaugural address the Union Minister emphasized that
agricultural mechanization is essential for agricultural
modernization and accordingly its benefits need to be extended
to all categories of farmers in each agro-climatic zones of the
country. Mr Singh also stressed upon the need to transfer the
latest technology to the farmers so that their income may be
doubled by way of reducing the cost of cultivation and
increasing production.
Mr Singh has requested to all the manufacturers to come
forward for the commercialization of technology so that the
appropriate technology may reach to the farmers to benefit
them. The Union Minister has stressed upon the need for saving
the water and the mantra “per drop, more crop”.
INDIA TO IMPORT PULSES FROM MOZAMBIQUE FOR
STABILIZING PRICE RISE
To mitigate the shortfall in availability of pulses and supplement
the existing efforts at meeting the requirements, Government
has decided to enter into long term arrangement with
Mozambique so as to ensure assured availability of pulses. The
signing of this MoU with Mozambique may also lead to similar
arrangements with other countries. The MoU aims at promoting
the production of Pigeon Peas/Tur and other pulses in
Mozambique by encouraging progressive increase in the trading
of these pulses. The MOU includes targets for exports of Tur and
other pulses from Mozambique to India for five financial years
and aims at doubling the trade from 100,000 tonnes in 2016-17
to 200,000 tonnes is 2020-21.
The total pulses production in the country during 2015-16 is
estimated to be 17 million tonnes while 5.79 million tonnes of
pulses were imported to meet the domestic requirements.
However, the total availability of pulses including domestic
production and imports were was less than domestic
requirements putting pressure on the prices of pulses during the
year 2015-16 and current year.
STAKEHOLDER MEET ON NATIONAL CERTIFICATION
SYSTEM FOR TISSUE CULTURE RAISED PLANTS
The Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and
Technology, the Certification Agency for Tissue Culture Plants
organised a stakeholder meet on the “National Certification
System for Tissue Culture Raised Plants (NCS-TCP)” on July 04,
2016 in New Delhi. The event was organized by Biotech
Consortium India Limited (BCIL) to raise awareness about the
opportunities under the NCS-TCP to ensure production and
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BioVoiceNews | July 2016
distribution of quality
tissue culture planting
materials. The