Agriculture current affairs

‘Large Area Certification’ scheme:

Context:
14,491 ha area of UT of A&N Islands has become the first large contiguous
territory to be conferred with organic certification under ‘Large Area
Certification’ scheme.
About the ‘Large Area Certification’ scheme:

• Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare under its flagship scheme

of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna (PKVY) has launched this unique quick
certification programme to harness these potential areas.
• Under LAC, each village in the area is considered as one cluster/group.
• All farmers with their farmland and livestock need to adhere to the standard
requirements and on being verified get certified en-mass without the need to
go under conversion period.
• Certification is renewed on annual basis through annual verification by a
process of peer appraisals as per the process of PGS-India.

Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food

Processing Industry (PLISFPI)
• Central Sector Scheme with an outlay of Rs. 10900 crore

• The first component relates to incentivising manufacturing of four major food

product segments viz. Ready to Cook/ Ready to Eat (RTC/ RTE) foods including
Millets based products, Processed Fruits & Vegetables, Marine Products,
Mozzarella Cheese.

• For promotion of Indian Brand abroad, the scheme envisages grant to the
applicant entities for - in store Branding, shelf space renting and marketing.

• Scheme will be implemented over a six year period from 2021-22 to 2026-27.

World’s first genetically modified rubber planted in Guwahati

• Developed at the Kerala-based Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII)
 • The GM rubber plant, the first of its kind developed exclusively for the northeast, is
expected to thrive in the climatic conditions of the region.
• The plant, which has additional copies of gene MnSOD (manganese containing
superoxide dismutase) in it, is expected to revolutionise natural rubber production in
India.

ICAR-NIANP commercializes Anti-Methanogenic Feed

• National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru, Karnataka

• The technology is found very effective in reducing the enteric methane emission upto
17% to 20% when incorporated in the livestock feed
• The partial inhibition of the enteric methanogenesis will have the dual advantage of
stabilizing the global warming process and enhancing the productivity by re-
channelizing the saved biological energy.
• The Institute has already filed a Patent for Harit Dhara

BAO-DHAAN - Assam

• In a major boost to India’s rice exports potential, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ was
flagged off to the USA.
• Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical
fertilizer.
• The rice variety is referred as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of the Assamese food.
• As the exports of ‘red rice’ grow, it would bring enhance incomes of farming families of the
Brahmaputra flood plains.

Sweet Revolution

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched the

country’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van at Village in Uttar Pradesh.
It is an ambitious initiative of the Government of India for promoting
apiculture, popularly known as 'beekeeping'.

Protected Special Agricultural Zone

• A Special Agricultural Zone is one where agricultural land is

preserved for posterity because of its importance to increasing
 agriculture production and promoting livelihood security for a
large number of farm families.
• Agricultural scientists such as M.S. Swaminathan have for
long-mooted such zones similar to special economic
zones; like the Indira Gandhi Canal Area (Rajasthan Canal)
in Rajasthan, the Kuttanad wetlands of Kerala (GIAHS),
Punjab-Haryana belt, etc.

• Tamil Nadu announced that the Cauvery delta region, which is

Tamil Nadu’s rice bowl comprising eight districts, will be
declared as ‘Protected Special Agricultural Zone’ (PSAZ).

• The Central government recently amended the

Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006,
exempting prior environmental clearance and public
consultations for oil and gas exploration.

BUFFALOPOX:

The recent spread of monkeypox to non-endemic countries has

trained the spotlight on re-emerging viruses such as buffalopox,
which was first isolated in India.

• Since the first case in 1934 globally recorded in India, the country
has seen several sporadic outbreaks.

About buffalopox:

• It is a zoonotic disease endemic to India.

• It has its root in smallpox vaccines. Live virus used to inoculate

buffaloes to produce the smallpox vaccine in India evolved into
buffalopox over time.

• It is caused by buffalopox virus (BPXV); it is a Poxviridae for which

the natural host is buffalo.
• It is classified in the Orthopoxvirus (OPV)

• Symptoms: Lesions occur localized on the udder, teats, and

inguinal region, over the parotid, and the base and inner surface of
the ear and eyes.

RIBBON WEED: • Scientific Name: Posidonia australis.

• It is the world’s largest plant. It is a
seagrass 180 km in length.
• It has recently been discovered off the
West Coast of Australia in Shark Bay.
• The plant is 4,500 years old and has
double the number of chromosomes than
other similar plants.
• It can usually grow to around 35cm per
year.
• It covers an area of 20,000 hectares.
» The next on the podium, the second
largest plant, is the clonal colony of a
quaking Aspen
tree in Utah, which covers 43.6 hectares.
» The largest tree in India, the Great
Banyan in Howrah’s Botanical Garden,
covers 1.41 hectares.
 “CAMO-CROPPING”
TRIAL
Context:
Scientists hope patchworks of
multi-coloured crops will help
hide them “in plain sight”
from pests as a natural
alternative to pesticides. Fields
of sugar beet have been dyed in different colours using food dye at the farm.
Colour and the contrast between the plant and soil, using the dye will effectively
hide the crops in plain sight from the pests such as aphids.”

DRAGON FRUIT CULTIVATION

Context:
Following the footsteps of the Gujarat and
Haryana Government’s, the Centre has
decided to promote the cultivation of dragon
fruit, known as a “super fruit” for its health
benefits.
What does the government tell:
• The Centre plans to come up with an annual action plan to motivate more
State governments.
• Mizoram tops among the States that cultivate this fruit
• The success of Vietnam: The export of fruit has made a huge contribution to
Vietnam’s GDP.
About:
• Climatic condition: It can grow in semi-arid and arid regions and can tolerate a
bit of salt. All the States in India except cold areas are suitable for dragon fruit
plants.
» Its flowering coincides with the monsoon season in India.
» Its flowers are hermaphrodites (male and female organs in the same flower) in
nature and open at night.
• Native to America: The dragon fruit (Hylocereus undatus) is indigenous to the
Americas. It is a member of the cacti family.
• Different names: It is also known as ‘Pitaya’, ‘Pitahaya’, strawberry pear,
noblewoman and queen
of the night throughout the world. In India, it is also known as ‘Kamalam’.
• Super Fruit: The plant sustains yield for more than 20 years, is high in
nutraceutical properties (having medicinal effects) and good for value-added
processing industries.

‘JUTE MARK INDIA’ LOGO

Context:
Government launches ‘Jute Mark India’ logo to promote jute products.
The Jute Mark India (JMI) scheme will provide the collective identity and
assurance of origin and quality for traditional jute and jute products. The JMI
would therefore be a hallmark of powerful creative work that defines the jute
product with quality, distinguishes it from the competition and connects it with
customers. The certification is expected to boost the domestic market and
exports of jute products from India.