Agriculture current affairs - JAN 2019

1. The 6th 'Women of India organic festival' at Chandigarh

• The 6th 'Women of India organic festival' will be held from 12to 14 January 2019 at leisure valley, Chandigarh.
• The festival will be organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• The aim of the festival is to celebrate and promote women farmers and entrepreneurs in the organic sector from the remotest parts of India.
• Over 100 women entrepreneurs and farmers have come together at leisure valley, making it the epicenter of an organic extravaganza
• The festival will showcase over 1000 varied organic products, including fabric, wellness, grains, seeds, jewelry, bakery items and a lot more.
• The 5th edition of the women of India organic festival 2018 had taken place in New Delhi from Oct 26 to Nov 4.  

2. Indus Food 2019

• The mega international food and beverage show 'Indus Food 2019' will be held in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh on 14-15 January 2019.
• The event is organized jointly by Trade promotion council of India and Department of Commerce (TPCI).
• The event is a platform to promote India as a strong exporter of food and beverage products to the world, said by MSME Minister Prafulla Samal.
• Odisha will participate as a partner state of the event.

3. West Bengal govt announces two initiatives for farmers

• The West Bengal govt announced two welfare initiatives for farmers on 31 December 2018.
• Both initiatives are part of the 'Krishi Krishak Bandhu' scheme and will come into effect from January 1,2019.
• WB govt will give annual financial assistance of Rs.5,000 per acre in two installments - one is during Kharif and another is during Rabi for growing single crop.
• If a farmer aged between 18 to 60 years dies a natural or unnatural death, the govt will give a life insurance cover of Rs.2,00,000 to his family.
• The 'Krishak Bandhu' scheme may be extended to 72 lakh farmers and share-cropper families in the state. 

4. State's to rollout 'Parivesh' by Jan 15

• The web-based 'Parivesh' will be rolled-out at state levels by 15 Jan 2019.
• 'Parivesh' (Pro-Active and Responsive facilitation by interactive, Virtuous and Environmental Single-window Hub) is a single-window integrated environmental management system, developed under the 'Digital India' initiative.
• It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2018 on World Biofuel Day.

5. Chhabilendra Roul appointed as Fertilizer secretary

• Chhabilendra Roul has assumed the charge of Secretary, Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers from 31 Dec 2018.
• He replaced Bharathi S.Sihag, who retired on 31 Dec 2018.
• He was the special secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
• He is an Indian Administrative services officer of 1985 batch, from Punjab Cadre.

6. RBI gives relief to the MSME sector

• RBI allowed a one-time restructuring of existing debt of up to 25 crore rupees for the MSMEs which have defaulted on payment of loans.
• The restructuring of loans will be implemented by 31 March 2020.
• It will help the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises which are facing cash crunch due to demonitisation and GST implementation.

7. 11 New projects approved by Haryana Govt

• The Haryana govt approved 11 projects for the rejuvenation of Saraswati river 
• These include the construction of Somb Saraswati barrage, Saraswati reservoir and Adi Badri dam on Somb river, a tributary of the Yamuna that originates in the Shivalik Hills.

8. Andhra Pradesh govt bags CBIP award for Polavaram project

• The AP govt bagged the central Board of irrigation and power(CBIP) award for speedy execution of Polavaram project.
• It received the award in the category of 'Best Implementation of Water Resources Project' for better planning, implementation, and monitoring.
• The Polavaram project is a lifeline of Andhra Pradesh and the state govt is implementing it on a mission mode.

9. Maharastra cabinet approves SMART project

• On 8 Jan 2019, the Maharastra cabinet approved the 'State of Maharastra's Agribusiness and Rural Transformation' (SMART) project assisted by the World Bank.
• The project will boost the agriculture sector and agri-allied businesses.
• The project will have an investment of Rs.2,200 crore, of which 70%(Rs.1,554crore) will be from the World Bank, while the State governments share will be of 26.67%(Rs.592crore). The remaining 3.33%(Rs.74crore) will come from the Maharashtra Village Social Transformation Foundation (VSTF).
• The project will help support value addition in post-harvest segments of value chains, facilitate enterprise promotion and business investment.
• It will also be involved in forming farmer producer groups, linking farmers to the market, and ensuring safe food for consumers which will ultimately lead to increase in the farmer's income and creating more sources of livelihood.

        Aim:

• The project will aim at forming self-help groups, village level groups, farmer producer companies, and extending skill improvement training. It involves creating a value-added chain between farmers and private business entities.

10. 'Gangajal Project' inaugurated in Agra

• PM Modi inaugurated the 'Gangajal Project' in Agra on 9 Jan 2019.
• The programme will provide a supply of better drinking water which will benefit the residents as well as tourists.
• The Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra.
• He also launched civic projects worth Rs.2,980crore in Agra.  

11. GOI launches National clean Air programme

• The govt of India launched the 'National Clean Air Programme' (NACP) on Jan 10, 2019.
• Aim of this programme is to reduce particulate matter (PM) pollution by 20-30% in at least 102 cities by 2024.
• It will provide the states and the centre with a framework to combat air pollution.
• The NACP will be a mid-term, five year action plan with 2019 as the first year.

12. Agreement for Renukaji Dam Project signed

• An agreement for Renukaji Dam Multipurpose Project was signed among 6 states on 11 Jan 2019.
•  6 states are,

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Haryana
3. Himachal Pradesh
4. Delhi
5. Rajasthan
6. Uttarakhand

• Under the agreement, three storage projects are proposed to be constructed on the river Yamuna and two of its tributaries - Tons and Giri in the hilly regions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

13. Fish Fest begins in West Bengal

• The three days 'Bengal Fish Fest 2019' was inaugurated in Kolkata on 11 Jan 2019.
• The Festival is organized by the  West Bengal's fisheries department.
• The aim of the festival is to make the people aware of the achievement of the state government in the area of fisheries.
• The festival had stalls put up by the stakeholders from the fisheries sector projecting modern technologies, different varieties of fish feed, ornamental fish.

14. Madras High Court forms a committee to remove invasive plant species

• The Madras High Court has set up an expert committee to find a solution to root out invasive species of plants from western ghats while observing that such species were the second largest cause of biodiversity loss in the world.
• It has also directed the panel to file a report on the ways to weed out such species within two months.
• The committee will be headed by Cherukuri Raghavendra Babu, the Chairman of the expert committee on invasive species in Chennai National Biodiversity Authority.
• The committee will study all aspects related to the forests.

15. Puducherry To Ban Single-Use Plastic from March 1

• The Puducherry Govt announced a total ban on the manufacture, sale, and storage of single-use plastics in the Union Territory.
• The ban on Single-Use plastics such as paper cups, disposable plates, and straws would come into effect from March 1, 2019.
• This decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Puducherry's Chief Minister    V. Narayanasamy.

16. Special weather services for Kumbh Mela launched

• Science and Technology Minister Dr. Harshavardhan launched the special weather services for Kumbh Mela at a function in New Delhi.
• A Mobile application named 'Kumbh Mela Weather Service' has been developed to disseminate the live weather information.
• It will provide information about the prevailing weather condition and forecasts to the people visiting Prayagraj during Kumbh Mela.
• For, this purpose, four Automatic Weather stations have been installed at four locations at Prayagraj.

17. Green nod for Sita Ram Irrigation project in Telangana

• Telangana govt has been given the green nod for its Rs.13,384.80crore Sita Ram Lift Irrigation Project that aims to divert Godavari river water to irrigate 2.72 lakh ha in three districts, a  senior central govt official said on Monday.
• The objective of this project is to provide water for irrigation as well as to supplement some of the existing irrigation schemes.

18. 9th International Conference on Micro Irrigation

• The 9th International Micro Irrigation Conference on Modern Agriculture will be held at Aurangabad in Maharashtra from 16 to 18 Jan 2019.
• It is organized by the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation.
• The conference discussed the issues related to micro-irrigation for modern agriculture and crop productivity.

19. 'Maha Agritech' project launched

• Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched 'Maha Agritech' project on 14 Jan 2019.
• The project is supported by the Maharastra Remote Application Centre (MRSAC) and ISRO.
• Under the project, an area under cultivation from sowing to harvesting, climate, and diseases on crops will be monitored digitally using satellite and drone technology.

20. MP CM launches the farm loan waiver scheme

• Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath launched the Rs.50,000-crore farm debt-waiver scheme named 'Jai Kisan Rin Mukti Yojana' on 15 Jan 2019.
• The state Cabinet gave its nod to waive crop loans of 55 lakh small and marginal farmers on 5 Jan 2019.
•  The loan waiver forms could be submitted till 5 Feb 2019 and farmers would start getting the benefits from 22 Feb 2019.

21. Tripura CM launches Forest management project

• Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb launched an Rs.1,000 crore Sustainable Catchment Forest Management (SCATFORM) project for local communities living around forest areas in the state.
• The project will help to improve forests in the targeted catchment areas.
• It would also create livelihood of the people living in and around the forest areas.
• The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will bear 80% cost of the project.

22. 10th Edition of India Rubber Expo 2019

• Union Minister for Commerce and Industries, Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Rubber Expo-2019 in Mumbai on 17 Jan 2019.
• The India Rubber Expo is claimed to be Asia's largest rubber expo.
• The event offers a unique opportunity for Indian companies to meet and collaborate with overseas companies.

23. 2nd 'World Orange Festival' begins

• The second 'World Orange Festival' was inaugurated in Nagpur on 18 Jan 2019.
•  The festival, while offering its famed oranges to the world, will also showcase and brand the exquisite fruit in order to boost its export.
• Agricultural experts and scientists from various countries will participate in the workshops and guide farmers.

24. Telangana to set up 'Save Tiger Protection Force'

• The Telangana govt has decided to form a 'State Tiger Protection Force' to save the Big Cat population in the state.
• The 112-member-armed STPF will be headed by an Assistant conservator of forests to protect the tiger population in Amarabad and Kawal Tiger Reserves.
• The state and central govt will share the cost of the force on 40:60 basis.
• The committee decided to act tough against those felling forest trees and committing other related crimes.

25. Arunachal Pradesh govt declares Pakke Hornbill fest as 'State Festival'

• The govt of Arunachal Pradesh declared the 'Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival' (PPHF) as a 'state festival'.
• PPHF is the state's only conservation festival.
• The first ever PPHF was held on Jan 16-18, 2015.
• The aim of the festival is to recognize the role played by the resident Nyishi tribe in conserving hornbills in the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR).

26. Conference on Agriculture held in New Delhi

• National Conference on Agriculture for Zaid Campaign-2019 was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture&Farmers Welfare in New Delhi on 24 Jan 2019.
• Special sessions were held to discuss strategy for potential crops and irrigation potential for Zaid season.
• It was also said that the total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated at 284.83million tonnes in 2017-18.

27. ICAR's 'Kisan Gandhi tableau wins first prize at R-Day parade

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research tableau in the Republic Day Parade has won the first prize for its Kisan Gandhi theme.
• The ICAR tableau with the theme "Mishrit Kheti, Khushiyon Ki Kheti" portrayed Gandhi with goats and caring animals.
• The tableau showcased a view from Bapu Kuti at Wardha Ashram.

28. FSSAI asks food business to comply with new packaging norms by July 1

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that food business needs to comply with new packaging regulations by July 1.
• Pawan Agarwal is the CEO of FSSAI.
• The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carrying bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

29. 1st Geographical Indication Store in Goa

• Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurates India's 1st Geographical Indication (GI) store at Goa International Airport in Dabolim.
• It is located on the 1st floor on Departure Terminal and set up by the Airports Authority of India and The cashew export promotional council of India.
• The products from the self-help groups, artisans and farmer's produce will be also displayed.

30. Trade through the e-NAM portal started

• The first inter-state trade on the e-NAM portal was started between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on 19 Jan 2019.
• The trade happened between a farmer from Gadwal mandi in Telangana State, who sold 8.46 quintal of groundnut to a trader in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh.
• The e-NAM is a pan India electronic trading portal to connect with the existing wholesale market.

31. NABARD sets up  to provide venture capital

• On 7 Jan 2019, NABARD announced that it will provide early-stage capital to agriculture and rural enterprises through its venture capital entity, 'NABVENTURES Ltd'.
• NABVENTURES Ltd has been incorporated by NABARD under the Companies Act.
• It will launch its maiden fund offer by the middle of Feb 2019.
• NABARD's headquarter is in Mumbai and its chairman is Harsh Kumar Bhanwala.

32. Govt relaxes norms for fertilizer exports

• The govt India relaxed norms for exports of fertilizers, including Urea, Potassic and Phosphatic.
• The export policy of fertilizers have been revised and items under the 'Restricted' category moved to the 'free' category.
• These exports are subject to prior permission/ no objection certificate to be obtained by the manufacturers/ exporters from the Department of Fertilizer.

33. Polavaram project created a World Record

• The Polavaram multi-purpose irrigation project entered the Guinness Book record in terms of using the highest volume of concrete in a given day.
• The project contractor Navayuga Engineering Company poured 32,100 cubic meters of concrete in the spillway channel within 24 hours.
• The project beat the existing record set in Dubai while building a hotel in May 2017.

34. Uttarkhand's first Tulip Garden in Pithoragarh

• Uttarkhand's first tulip garden will come up over 50 ha of forest land near Chandak hilltop in Pithoragarh district at a cost of Rs.50crore.
• It will be developed by the ONGC under its corporate social responsibility programme.
• This Tulip garden will be the country's second after the one located in Srinagar, Jammu, and Kashmir.
• The Petroleum Minister has given his nod to the programme.
• The Tulip bulbs from Holland were planted in that garden.

35. Pakistan declares Sugarcane juice as National Drink

• On 25 Jan 2019, Pakistan govt declared Sugarcane Juice as the 'National Drink' of the country after a poll on Twitter.
• The govt conducted a poll on Twitter at which people were asked to decide the national drink of Pakistan.
• They have given Orange Juice, Sugarcane Juice, Carrot Juice as option. 

36. Monkey fever in Karnataka

• Kyasanur forest disease (KFD), also known as 'monkey fever', in Shivamogga district of Karnataka.
• KFD is a re-emerging  zoonatic disease endemic in Karnataka.
• It is caused by Kyasanur Forest disease Virus (KFDV), a member of the virus family Flaviviridae.
•  The disease can be transmitted to human via contact with a sick or recently dead monkey.