Current Affairs on

Agriculture

Imp for NABARD, IBPS AFO, RRB, UPSC

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World Coconut Day

• 2 September, 2017

• India tops in Production & Productivity in the world

• Theme – “Healthy Wealthy Life with Coconut”

• Training Programme – “ Friends Of Coconut tree’’

• Programme includes-

Employment Opportunity for youth

Transforms trainees into experts in coconut farming

It helps to reduce scarcity of Coconut Climbers.

Till March 2017, 57647 FOCTS were trained under the programme

world's largest milk producer ?? India is the world's largest milk producer for the past two decades NDDB has started several major dairy development programs including 'Operation Flood'. The NDDB Dairy Excellence Awards organized at Anand, Gujarat on the foundation day of National Dairy Development Board.

Approvement of “Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund” (DIDF)

• For the period of 2017-18 to 2028-29, The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, approved DIDF - Rs 10,881 crore.

• Out of Rs 10881 crore , In Union Budget 2017-18, DIDF will be set up of

Rs 8004 crore with NABARD

• Rs 2001 crore shall be end borrowers contribution

• Rs 12 crore would be NDDB/NCDC‘s share • Rs 864 crore shall be contributed by DADF towards interest subvention.

• NABARD shall disburse Rs 2004 Cr, Rs 3006 Cr and Rs 2994 Cr during the year 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively.

•

• Allocation of Rs 864 Crore for interest subvention will be released to NABARD a period of 12 years, from 2017-18 to 2028-29.

•

The major activities of DIDF:

• Building an efficient milk procurement system

• Setting up of chilling infrastructure

• Installation of electronic milk adulteration testing equipment.

• Creation/modernization/expansion of processing infrastructure and manufacturing units.

Management of DIDF:

• The project will be implemented by National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and National Dairy Development Cooperation (NCDC) directly through

The End Borrowers such as Milk Unions

State Dairy Federations

Multi-state Milk Cooperatives

Milk Producer Companies and NDDB subsidiaries.

Implementation and Monitoring Cell (IMC) located at NDDB, Anand, will manage the day-to-day project activities.

• The end borrowers will get the loan @ 6.5% per annum. The period of repayment will be 10 years with initial two years moratorium.

• The respective State Government will be the guarantor of loan repayment. Also for the project sanctioned if the end user is not able to contribute its share; State Government will contribute the same.

Benefits from DIDF:

• 95,00,000 farmers / 50,000 villages would be benefitted.

• Additional Milk processing capacity of 126 lakh litre per da

• Milk drying capacity of 210 MT per day

• Milk chilling capacity of 140 lakh litre per day, installation of 28000 Bulk Milk Coolers (BMCs)

• Electronic milk adulteration testing equipment and value added products manufacturing capacity of 59.78 lakh litre per day of milk equivalent shall be created.

Employment Generation Potential:

• DIDF scheme will generate direct and indirect employment opportunities for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled manpower. Ex. for expansion & modernisation of existing milk processing facilities, setting up of new processing plants, establishment of manufacturing facilities and setting up of Bulk Milk Coolers (BMCs) at village level.

• Indirect employment opportunities will be created for Ex. milk product marketing operations.

• Generation of additional manpower employment will be required for supervision of increased milk procurement operations, transportation and increased input delivery services like Artificial Insemination (AI) services, Veterinary Services, etc.

Celebration of 100 years of Shri Laxman Madhav Rao Inamdarji & the importance of cooperative movement.

• Shri Lakshman Rao Inamdar, popularly known as “Vakil Saheb” was born in Khatav, a village 130 kms south of Pune on 21stSeptember 1917 in a large joint family having seven brothers (he was third among them) and two sisters.

• Living in these adjusting conditions Vakil Saheb learned the art of caring, sharing and coexistence very early in life.

• This childhood learning made him a true advocate of teamwork which is the cornerstone of ‘cooperation’.

The formation of “Sahakar Bharati”

• The formation of “Sahakar Bharati” & responsibility for taking the cooperative movement was taken by Lakshman Rao Inamdar.

• Sahakar Bharati the dream project of the late Shri Lakshman Rao Inamdar (advocate )came into existence on 11 January 1979 in Mumbai (Maharashtra).

• The teachings of Shri Rao and lessons in cooperation helps to achieve our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s module of development in the words “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”.

Sahkar Bharti Organisation (Vision):

• The Co-Operative Movement should generate speedy and balanced economic growth.

• To organise the Co-Operative Movement for Self-sustaining and Self-reliant Institutions, which are free from external control and political manipulations.

• To create a strong knowledge of the Co-Operative Movement which in the present circumstances can only act as the ‘savior’ for upliftment of Vanavasis (Tribals), Small farmers, Landless Labourers, Rural Artisans, Jobless Technicians and Consumers from the middle and lower income groups.

Objective -Sahakar Bharati:

• To encourage people - at National, State, District, Taluka and Primary levels - to promote, form and run Co-Operatives of various types.

• To advise and help the existing Co-Operatives to overcome problems and difficulties in their working.

• To assist Co-Operatives in working with the Co-Operative Department, State and Central Governments, RBI and such other Institutions at State and National levels.

• To encourage, institute research in various fields i.e related to social, economic and Co-Operative sectors.

• To provide techno-economic services to individuals, institutions and Co-Operatives.

• To undertake surveys and studies and assist projects to improve socio-economic Conditions in rural and tribal areas.

• To help especially the backwards people & to improve their Social, Economic conditions through the Co-Operative Movement.

Activities of Sahkar Bharti:

• To organise Seminars, Conferences, Meetings, Lectures, etc. to instruct, guide, educate and enlighten the people i.e associated with the Co-Operative Movement.

• To set the objectives of the Co-Operative Movement, Publish the Articles, Periodicals, Magazines, Reports, Books etc.

• To produce Films, Photographs, Posters & their exhibition.

• To establish, Educational and Training Institutions to empower, associated with Social, Economic and Co-Operative fields etc.

• To raise funds in order to help Individuals, Institutions carrying out activities similar to those of the Sahakar Bharati and to carry out various activities of Sahakar Bharati.

Purpose of the event:

• To celebrate 100 years of Shri Laxman Madhav Rao Inamdar ji and to laud and reiterate the importance of cooperative movement.

• To release two books proposed by NCUI:

(i) ’’On Shri Laxman Rao Inamdar Ji’’ (ii) ’’9 important leaders of cooperative movement in India.’’

• To recognize the excellent work done by 7 cooperatives in their respective fields by giving certificates and mementoes.

• National Cooperative Union of India – NCUI

Krishi Unnati Mela in Mathura

• Shri Radha Mohan Singh addresses inaugurates Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centenary Krishi Unnati Mela in Mathura

• Production of pulses increases to 22.40 million tonnes in 2016-17 from 16.35 million tonnes in the previous year.

• Production of food grains increases from 265 million tonnes to 273.38 million tonnes in 2016-17

• Agriculture Minister inaugurates an eco-friendly sewerage treatment plant of 75,000 liters capacity developed by IARI using indigenous technology

• inaugural function of four-day Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centenary Krishi Unnati Mela organized by National Horticulture Board of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry in Mathura.

• The Central and the Uttar Pradesh Governments organized various programmes for the farmers by selling the best horticultural and agricultural products at the 70 stalls at the fair Ex. horticulture, agriculture, livestock, dairy, fisheries etc

• Farmers were learning the new technologies in the fields of agriculture and getting expert advice from scholars.

• Horticultural production is higher than food grains which maintion nutritional security of the country & help to create self-employment opportunities.

• The farmers should use techniques and machinery used by the developed nations to grow horticultural crops of international standards.

• The Union Agriculture Minister inaugurated an eco-friendly sewerage treatment plant of 75,000 liters capacity, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute using indigenous technology.

• Wastewater (sewage water) will be recycled at the plant and will be reused for irrigation.

• It will reduce 75 to 85 percent heavy metal pollution from the wastewater and such treated water is used for irrigation.

• The use of treated water for wheat and paddy cultivation helps in reducing the health risks by 44 - 58 %

“Prakriti Khoj’’ • Government launched a national-level online quiz competition, "Prakriti

Khoj“, On Teachers' Day in New Delhi.

• The quiz have multiple choice questions on climate change, biodiversity, forest and wildlife, pollution, waste management, rivers and lakes and natural history etc.

•

• The quiz will be conducted in two phases.

I phase-

Students under the National Green Corps (NGC) programme participated.

II phase-

The quiz was open to all students from schools in the country in 2018

• The quiz organised in the age-groups of 8-12, 13-15 and 16-18 years.

• A separate web portal, www.ngc.nic, will provide information on the quiz competition.

• The quiz will be organised in schools under the supervision of Principals/Eco-club coordinators and the winners will also be given cash prizes.

Prakriti Khoj-Environment Quiz Competion at national level.

• Objective

To impart knowledge of environment to the children.

To motivate children towards environment conservation-oriented lifestyles.

To trigger the sensitivity towards nature appreciation and conservation, leading to positive environmental actions at different levels

To inculcate the feeling of responsibility towards the environment protection and bring the behavioural change.

To take important actions towards environment protection & conservation

APEDA: Hortinet App

o Hortinet is an App developed by APEDA

• Aim-

To provide Internet services to the stakeholders for facilitating farm registration, testing and certification of Grape, Pomegranate and Vegetables for export from India to the European Union with standards.

To allow farmers to apply on-line to facilitate their farm registration, tracking the status of application & approvals by State Government and Lab sampling by authorized Laboratories.

To capture real time details of farmers, farm location, products and details of inspections like date of inspection. After registration and approval of farm, farmer gets approval information.

To apply for farm registration and approval by State Govt. & Lab Sampling

Features of Hortinet app :

Online Farm registration application and status tracking

Processing and approval on on-line farmer applications by State Horticulture /Agriculture department.

Registration of farmers, farms and products by State Horticulture/Agriculture department

Capture geo location of the farms registered through the app

Sample collection by APEDA authorized Laboratories along with geo location of the sample.

About APEDA

• APEDA - The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority was established by the Government of India under, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act passed by the Parliament in December, 1985.

• The Act (2 of 1986) came into effect from 13th February, 1986 by a notification issued in the Gazette of India.

• The Authority replaced the Processed Food Export Promotion Council (PFEPC).

APEDA – Imp Points

• APEDA is an export promotion organization under Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India.

• Chairman - Shri Devendra Kumar Singh

• General Manager - Dr. Tarun Bajaj

• In the past, APEDA have played important role in TraceNet for organics, AnarNet , GrapeNet.

ASSIGNED FUNCTIONS OF APEDA

• Development of industries relating to the scheduled products for export by providing financial assistance or taking.

• Registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products on payment.

• Fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports.

• Carrying out inspection of meat and meat products, processing plants, storage premises & ensuring the quality of products;

• Improving of packaging, marketing of the Scheduled products outside India.

PRODUCTS MONITORED - APEDA

APEDA has responsibility of export promotion and development of the following scheduled products:

• Fruits, Vegetables and their Products.

• Meat and Meat Products.

• Poultry and Poultry Products.

• Dairy Products.

• Confectionery, Biscuits and Bakery Products.

• Honey, Jaggery and Sugar Products.

• Cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds.

• Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages.

• Cereal and Cereal Products.

• Groundnuts, Peanuts and Walnuts.

• Pickles, Papads and Chutneys.

• Guar Gum.

• Floriculture and Floriculture Products.

• Herbal and Medicinal Plants.

• In addition to this, APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.

Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots, Perambalur

• Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Union Minister for Food Processing Industries launched Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots (Small Onions) in Chettikulam village in Perambalur District of Tamil Nadu.

• She said that farmers in Perambalur, 70000 tons of shallots/ year in a cultivation area of 8000 hectares. This Central Processing Center ensure that no shallots are getting wasted, increase farmers' income and also ensure availability of shallots to consumers.

• This Onion processing technology should be taken to all parts of India.

Products of Shallots

• Shri C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology said that his Institute has decided to take one crop per year & develop processing technologies for that crop.

• In this Mission Banana was implemented in the previous year & This year, Mission is Onion.

• Central Food Processing Center for Shallots in Tamil Nadu is part of the Mission Onion in improving the lives of Onion farmers in this area. This center will help farmers’ to double their income through value addition.

• Center will process Shallots and produce 4 Shallot products viz. Fresh Shallot, Peeled Shallot, Onion Powder, Onion Paste, Onion Flakes.

Background

• Perambalur district is the hub for small onions (Shallots) cultivation.

• Farmers reported massive losses due to conventional methods of handling and storage.

• So there is a need to find out the solutions to minimize wastage, particularly during seasons with surplus production. The farmer producers union which will be involved in this initiative was also launched recently.

• IIFPT has developed three machines viz.

1. Small Onion Stem and Root Cutter

2. Small Onion Peeler

3. Solar Assisted Curing cum Storage Unit for Onions

• This Center will make four value added products

1. Onion Powder

2. Onion Paste

3. Vacuum Packed Peeled Onion

4. Onion Flakes

Benefits of Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots, Perambalur

By doing value addition, increases shelf life of shallots and farmers get better prices for their produce.

Onion powder will last for 6 months

Onion Paste for 5 months

Vacuum Packed Peeled Onion for 1 month (under refrigeration),

Onion Flakes for 6 months.

Other Benefits :

1. Reduction of storage losses

3. Shelf life extension

4. Increase in income generation

5. Wider market coverage for local farmers

6. More jobs created

1. Environmrnt Ministry launched the Quiz Competion on the Teachers Day, What is the name of that Quiz ?

A. Prakriti Khoj

B. Paryavaran Khoj

C. Parivahan Khoj

D. Pan-Phul Khoj

E. None of the above

Ans

A. Prakriti Khoj

2. National Food Week is observed in the week …….

A. 8 -14 September

B. 15 - 21 September

C. 22- 28 September

D. 1- 7 September

E. None of the above

Ans

• 1- 7 September

3. Which of the country is the world's largest milk producer for the past two decades

A. India

B. Brazil

C. Israel

D. China

E. Russia

Ans

• India

4. Union Minister for Food Processing Industries launched Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots (Small Onions) in ………………

A. Tamil Nadu.

B. Maharstra

C. Uttar Pradesh

D. Gujrat

E. Sikkim

Ans

• Tamil Nadu.

5. Where is the Head Office of APEDA ?

A. Bangalore

B. Mumbai

C. New Delhi

D. Kolkata

E. Hyderabad

Ans

• New Delhi

6. Under which ministry, APEDA is an export promotion organization, Government of India?

A. Ministry of Commerce & Industries

B. Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

C. Food Processing Industries

D. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

E. Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Environment, Forest, Climate Change

Ans

A.Ministry of Commerce & Industries

7. Who is the Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, launched Common Food Processing Incubation Center for Shallots (Small Onions) in Chettikulam village ?

A. Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal

B. Ramvilas Paswan

C. Narendra Singh Tomar

D. Dr. Harsh Vardhan

E. Radha Mohan Singh

Ans

• Smt Harsimrat Kaur Badal

8. The programme of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centenary - Krishi Unnati Mela organized by National Horticulture Board of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry in…………..

A. Chettikulam

B. Perambalur

C. Bhilwara

D. Mathura

E. None of the above

Ans

D. Mathura

9.The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, approved DIDF- For the period of 2017-18 to 2028-29 is ………….

A. Rs.12,881 Crore

B. Rs.15,881 Crore

C. Rs.18,881 Crore

D. Rs.20,881 Crore

E. Rs. 10,881 Crore

Ans

E. Rs. 10,881 Crore

10. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, approved DIDF - Rs 10,881 crore. Out of Rs 10881 crore , In Union Budget 2017-18, DIDF will be set up of ………………… with NABARD

A. Rs. 4004 Crore

B. Rs. 2004 Crore

C. Rs. 6004 Crore

D. Rs 8004 Crore

E. None of the above

Ans

D. Rs 8004 Crore

11. What is the theme of World Coconut Day ?

A. Healthy Life with Coconut

B. Wealthy Life with Coconut

C. Healthy Wealthy Life with Coconut

D. Either A or B

E. None of the above

Ans

• Healthy Wealthy Life with Coconut

Source

• http://www.agricoop.nic.in

• http://pib.nic.in

• http://apeda.gov.in

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