1. Two high-yielding wheat varieties are introduced in Himachal Pradesh
The introduction of two high-yielding wheat varieties, DBW 222 and DBW 187, by the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Department would increase the state's production of foodgrains 🌾🌾.
2. The government approves online platforms to revolutionize the sale of agricultural chemicals
In order to encourage competition and drive down costs, the Indian government revised the Insecticide Act to permit online sales of pesticides 💻🌿. The establishment of online platforms by agrochemical producers can draw e-commerce goliaths like Amazon and Flipkart 🛒📦.
3. Establishment of a New Advisory Group to Promote the Bamboo Industry and Develop a Sustainable Value Chain
An advisory group to help the growth of the bamboo industry has been approved by the Union Agriculture Minister 🎋🌱. The main goal of the group is to create an integrated value chain for the bamboo industry 🔄🎍. The group will include academics, researchers, inventors, business owners, designers, marketing experts, and policymakers, according to a statement released by the agriculture ministry 🧑🎓👩🔬👨💼. The advisory committee will aim to establish synergy between all phases of the bamboo value chain and aid in redesigning the sector's developmental framework by integrating bamboo efforts across several ministries and departments 🤝🏛️🎋.
4. The Department of Fisheries will host a national webcast to promote frozen fish and its products.
A national webinar on "Promotion of frozen fish and fish products" was held by the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy, Government of India 🐟🧊. This was part of the ongoing Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration 🇮🇳🎉.
5. Making Use of Short-Duration Varieties to Manage Rice Straw Effectively
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and State Agriculture Universities (SAUs) have created new short-duration rice varieties that can help with paddy straw management, according to current information from the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare 🌾🌱. These high-yielding types, which all have a 115-day growing time, are Pusa Basmati 1509, Pusa Basmati 1692, and Pusa Basmati 1847 🌾🌾🌾. Additionally, there are non-basmati aromatic cultivars with growing times between 120 and 125 days, namely PR 126, Pusa Sugandh 5, and Pusa 1612 🌾🌾🌾. These types can assist farmers in better managing their straw, leading to less burning and more environmentally friendly farming methods 🌾🔥🌿.
6. Uttarakhand's Plans for Genetic Enhancement: Reviving the Badri Cow
Uttarakhand plans to use genetic engineering to increase the output of its native Badri cow 🐄🧬. As part of a ten-year strategy, the state intends to increase cow productivity using sex-sorted semen and embryo transfer technologies 🐮🔬. Small and significant to Uttarakhand's rural economy is the Badri cow, which is recognized for grazing on medicinal herbs in the Himalayas 🏞️🌿. The genetic modification effort seeks to raise the production of the state's approximately 7.01 lakh Badri cows, 4.79 lakh of which are female, as well as the standard of living for local farmers 🌾👨🌾👩🌾.
7. The Interaction of AI and IoT
To encourage the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture 🌾🌐, the Indian government has launched a number of programs 🚀📡. The Department of Science and Technology has established 25 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) across the nation as part of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), three of which are specifically focused on the study and development of IoT and AI applications in agriculture 🧪🤖. These projects, among other things, are meant to promote precision farming, animal monitoring, and climate monitoring 🌱🐄🌦️. Agriculture may be made more productive and environmentally friendly with the use of AI and IoT, improving farmer livelihoods 🌾👩🌾👨🌾.
