National Gardening Mission being intensified in Jharkhand

Masratu (Jharkhand), May 7 (ANI): Tomato growers in Jharkhand are being provided with additional facilities under the National Gardening Mission for increasing production and getting better returns from their yield.

These include cold storages and cold storage vans so that the farmers can pack their crops in their farms and take it to places where they can get a better price.

Soil Conservation Officer Anil Kumar provided details of the mission.

“Many plans from our agriculture department are upcoming. It has also come to Jharkhand. National Gardening Mission has been in practice for three years now,” said Kumar.

“We have added the provision of a cold storage, cold storage van, where the farmers can do packing in their respective farms and take it to other places where they can get a good price for it,” he added.

The tomato farmers of Masratu village here said that there are good opportunities for profits for the farmers, but if they don”t get better price they will have to suffer losses.

“In case, if we get proper rate, the profits are up to Rs 50,000 to Rs one lakh, but if we don”t get proper rates there can be losses worth lakhs, ” said Bisheshwar Mahto, a farmer.

“The younger generation should be interested in farming as well; it will also make the state self-reliant,” he added.

Tomato is a warm season crop, it requires warm and cool climate. The plants cannot withstand frost and high humidity. (ANI)

Ten-year-old turns grain farmer in Bihar

Gaya (Bihar), Apr 29 (ANI): Ten-year-old Jayjeet, a resident of Bihar”s Gaya District, has used new methods of cultivation to increase his yield.

“Our production is doubling, even tripling, using general (methods). In general, the yield is one and a half tonnes when we do it through. We are getting straight three to four tonnes,” said Jayjeet, child farmer.

“I got awards on Bihar Day from the District Magistrate, Sub-Division officer and all the officers and scientists of our district. I got a pesticide spraying machine, one shawl and a certificate,” he added.

Other farmers have also taken to following his methods and are getting good results, with production of wheat going two or three times higher than usual and costs remaining the same.

“Previously we used to produce crop with our methods but now with this (Jayjeet”s) method our production has gone two to three times higher,” said Kesar, a farmer.

Jayjeet has been awarded the Young Farming Certificate by the state government for introducing innovative methods of cultivation in the in the village. (ANI)

DPI changes farming advice policy

The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) will no longer offer one-on-one agronomic advice to farmers if there is a private sector service available.

As part of a new extension strategy for the department, unless there is a natural disaster, staff will only give advice on chemical and other compliance activities; and land and water planning.

DPI Victoria’s secretary, Richard Bolt, says the strategy aims to fill gaps in the service market and continue its relationship with grower groups.

“We have to provide the best bang for our buck [and] in some cases that involves us working through partnerships,” he said.

“It involves us broadcasting our messages at conferences.

“In other cases where there isn’t a private advisory network and where there’s really important outcomes for us to achieve, we will work with farmers one-to-one.”

Prince Charles to host final of TV cookery programme

London, Mar 22 (ANI: Prince Charles will be hosting the final of a TV cookery contest.

And accompanying the Royal on BBC2’s Great British Menu, who has been a passionate advocate of locally produced food, will be the Duchess of Cornwall.

The final banquet will be screened in a special one-hour show in June and will be the climax of the series in which chefs are being challenged to source ingredients from farms and estates near an historic property in their region.

The Prince is not the first royal to become involved in the programme—in 2006, the Great British Menu prepared food for the Queen at her 80th birthday banquet.

“We are delighted that the Prince of Wales has agreed to host this year’s Great British Menu banquet,” the Daily Express quoted Liam Keelan, controller of BBC Daytime, as saying.

“As a strong advocate of farming and of local and organic food, his involvement will help make it a very special occasion,” he added. (ANI)

China’s radical urbanization may harm farmers’ welfare, create urban slums: Scholar

Beijing, Mar 20 (ANI): A Chinese scholar has warned that radical urbanization in the country might harm farmers’ welfare and create “urban slums”.

Professor He Xuefeng, a sociologist with Huazhong University of Science and Technology, believes that if China’s urbanization develops at a rapid pace, the cities might not be ready to provide proper public service for newcomers.

“In this scenario, these newcomers in town will be driven into urban slums. We have seen lots of such examples in some developing countries,” Xinhua news agency quoted Professor Xuefeng, as saying.

The statement comes after statistics that China has about 900 million rural residents and about 145 million of them have left their hometowns to work in cities.

Professor Xuefeng further doubted the feasibility of encouraging more farmers to settle in cities and transfer their land to economic entities for industrial projects or to other farmers.

“Whether rural residents will become city dwellers depends on whether they can get a decent life in cities or not,” Professor Xuefeng said.

“If rural residents do not find a good job and can not afford the expensive life in cities, they can still go back home for farming. There is enough room for them to turn around,” he added.

He suggested that the country should push urbanization step by step, taking full account of farmers’ real interests. (ANI)

Bangladesh Water Resource Minister meets Dr Singh

New Delhi, Mar 20 (ANI): Bangladesh Water Resource Minister Ramesh Chandra Sen called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and discussed issues of mutual concern, including the sharing of water of Teesta river.

The Teesta River is among several rivers flowing from the Himalayas into Bangladesh, providing a lifeline to both farming and ecology in both countries.

Sen also held discussions with his Indian counterpart Pawan Kumar Bansal in a bid to narrow down the differences over the sharing of Teesta waters on the last day of ministerial-level Joint River Commission (JRC) talks.

Dhaka is pressing for an interim accord on Teesta water sharing during the lean season, while New Delhi is willing to go only for a joint hydrological survey to assess the availability of water in the river round the year before accepting such an agreement.

The two ministers were to sign on the minutes of the JRC meeting, the first in five years, but as per reports the two sides have failed to agree on a joint statement. (ANI)

Lease deal secures land for clan groups

An Indigenous community in Cape York in far north Queensland is to become the first in the state to lease deeds of grant in trust land to clan groups.

A Hope Vale Aboriginal corporation has been set up, with representatives from 13 traditional owner groups to allocate land title.

The State Government has granted the corporation control of 110,000 hectares of land, excluding the Hope Vale town area.

Traditional owner Erica Deeral says some clans will use the leased land for traditional hunting and gathering and others are planning tourism and farming ventures.

“Times are changing now, so we’ve got to look for our kids and the future generations,” she said.

Ms Deeral says it has taken 24 years since the issue of deeds of grant for people to gain control of their country.

“We’ve taken that long to get to where we are now, you know at the table negotiating with our own people like our own traditional owners from this area,” she said.

Farmers grew rice in China’s Yangtze Basin 4,000 years ago

Washington, September 18 (ANI): New findings in the form of carbonized rice have indicated that farming in the Yangtze Basin in China existed as early as 4,000 years ago.

According to a report in Epoch Times, excavation in the Xiezi Area of Hubei Province yielded a total of 402 cultural relics, including carbonized rice.

Stone tools, pottery, bronze, jade and porcelain were unearthed, as well as a number of spinning wheels, drop spindles made of clay and other textile tools.

There were also stone mounds and smelting relics such as slag.

A variety of grains and seeds were found, and experts believe there may be carbonized wheat among the plant findings at the site.

The relics were determined to be from the Neolithic Era or New Stone Age at the time of the Shang Dynasty (ca. 1600-1050 B.C.) and Western Zhou Dynasty (ca. 1046-771 B.C.)

The combination of the relics that were found and their stratigraphic age provides valuable information about the diet structure, production methods, and living conditions of the inhabitants of the area during the time of the Shang and Western Zhou dynasties.

Archeological team leader, Luo Yunbin explained that there had been speculation in the past about edible rice production in the Yangtze Basin, but the new findings provide solid physical evidence that there was agricultural development in that area during ancient times. (ANI)

Jharkhand farmers forced to leave cultivable land due to Maoist threat

Palamu (Jharkhand), Sept 17 (ANI): Five farmers in Kadal village in Jharkhand’s Palamu district were forced to leave their recently purchased land, as the Maoists staked a claim to it under the Red cauldron.

The Maoists have reportedly taken over acres of land in the region, even the piece of land in question, had been taken over by them 20 years ago. And as per their instructions, the land would be used as a playground for children.

The five farmers had bought the land some time back and following the rains had started to cultivate it.

“We had started cultivating the land. But one day, the Maoists came and interrogated us. We told them that if it was their land we were ready to give away the land,” said Krishna Mehta, one of the farmers.

Maoists have been giving some of the illegally acquired land to the landless for farming while the rest lies barren.

The particular piece of land was community property before the Maoists acquired it.”People used to come here from various places to play and also practise for the police selections. The Maoists had come here and said that we must leave the land and we had to,” said Ayodhya Yadav, a farmer.

The farmers also alleged that the Maoists beat them up.

Jharkhand has turned into a major Maoist hub in the country. The red ultras have the dominance in 18 of the 24 districts of the state.

They force poor people to join their ranks and train them in carrying out hit-and-run attacks. They even try to carry it forward as a family tradition by teaching their children the same tactics.

The rebels often attack government establishments and extort money from businessmen and government officials to run their network. (ANI)

Pakistan’s rocket-shelling plunges market price of land beyond border

Chak Allah Bakhash (Punjab), Sept. 15 (ANI): The prices of farming land have plunged following past week’s rocket-shelling incident in the India-Pakistan border villages.

Local farmers say that it was already quite tough to find buyers for the land situated beyond fencing and the latest rocket-shelling incident has caused the prices to drop further.

Fenced from three sides, Village Chak Allah Bakhash at the International border has nearly 150 acres of land beyond fencing.

Balwinder Kaur, one of the natives in village Chak Allah Bakhash, said that it was already difficult for her to meet the daily expenditure.

Sucha Singh, another villager, said: “My family owns a piece of land across fencing and has been facing many difficulties while cultivating the land at the border. There are no takers for our land.”

Nearly 553 km long barbed fencing of the Punjab border along side Pakistan resulted in thousands of acres of land being left beyond fencing.

The price of the land spread before fencing line is nearly three times higher than the vast land spread beyond the fencing.

An acre of land, located before fencing, is available for approximately 600,000 to 10,00,000 rupees whereas more fertile land, located beyond the fencing, is worth about 200,000 to 300,000 rupees per acre.

Mandatory frisking by security men at the border gates of the fence and restricted working hours and few objections could be some of the reasons for a lesser price of land beyond fencing.

The farmers are worried that it would be difficult to find buyers for their lands. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)

World’s most advanced CT scanner to see through solids

Washington, September 11 (ANI): Researchers at The University of Nottingham, UK, have created the most advanced 3D X-ray micro Computed Tomography (CT) scanner in the world, which will help scientists from a wide variety of departments across the University literally see through solid materials, including soil.

Known as the ‘Nanotom’, the machine will make previously difficult and laborious research much easier as it allows researchers to probe inside objects without having to break into them.

The Nanotom will produce high-resolution 3D and slice images of solids with a pixel resolution of up to half micron or 500 nanometres.

It will be based at the School of Biosciences as the centrepiece of research into efforts to understand the microscopic interactions between plant root growth and soil structure.

The first project to use it will examine the sensing ability of roots to grow in the best direction for the health of the plant through the soil.

It aims to provide evidence of how the root reacts and adapts to soil stresses like drought and compaction by adjusting the genetic information in the tips of the root as it grows.

The Nanotom will allow researchers to follow the progress of the root growth and soil structural development for the first time without disturbing the sample of the plant growing in the soil.

The eventual aim of research like this is to contribute to worldwide efforts for food security and sustainable food production by preserving and improving the vital but finite soil resources of the planet.

It will enable scientists to come up with a recipe for the best soil composition and level of compaction as well as informing plant breeding programmes.

Accurate soil structure measurement will be also be essential in changing farming practices to cut CO2 which is released into the atmosphere during traditional ploughing of agricultural soil.

According to Dr Sacha Mooney from the University’s Division of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, “This new kit will completely revolutionize our work in trying to understand the key factors that control some of the many functions that soils perform.”

“Of course it’s not just soils we’ll be scanning, I think I am just as excited about the opportunity to look inside newly created environmental building materials, eco-friendly crops developed to improve yield and even chocolate bars for the food industry,” Mooney added. (ANI)

BSF deploys women guards on Pakistan border in Punjab

Ferozepur (Punjab), Sep 11 (ANI): The Border Security Force (BSF) deployed the first batch of women guards on Pakistan border in Punjab.

The move would make foolproof body frisking at border check posts and farms lying across the border fence, said an official.

“The wives of our farmers cross the fencing at the border to carry out farming activities. We need to frisk them while going and coming back, which our male constables cannot do. So we have appointed women constables so that the security angle can be covered,” said H.S. Garcha, Commandant, 43 Battalion, BSF, Ferozepur.

These personnel have been given training in weapon handling, intelligence gathering, border management, unarmed combat, frisking and guard duties.

“I was always interested in joining the armed forces, I also had NCC in my college. Since then I had this in mind that if given an opportunity, I would definitely do something like this. I always wanted to wear this uniform,” said Randeep Ranju, a BSF constable.

BSF formed its first women’s battalion when 178 recruits passed out of the BSF’s Subsidiary Training Centre at Kharga near Hoshiarpur on July 25.

BSF plans to induct 35,000 women guards in the paramilitary force in the next four years. (ANI)

One killed in farmers-police clash in Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 8 (ANI): One person was killed and several others were injured as large number of farmers staging a protest in Chandigarh clashed with the police on Tuesday.

The farmers from across Punjab state were protesting against the recent hike in power tariffs by the state’s electricity regulatory authority and sought better prices for their produce.

The agitating farmers set on fire several vehicles including police vehicles. Police fired tear gas to disperse the violent mob.

“The farmers were protesting outside Sector 16 stadium and started setting the police vehicles on fire and when I started clicking their pictures they attacked me and asked me to leave. They broke my camera and burnt many police vehicles,” said an unidentified reporter.

“I had come here and parked my bike when a crowd set many vehicles on fire including mine,” said Madhur, a youth whose two-wheeler was burnt by the agitating mob.

Farming is the main occupation of the fertile plains of Punjab, the state known as India’s granary.

Farming is subsidized across the country, especially in Punjab, in a number of ways including cheaper seeds, power, fertilizers and pesticides, easy loans and prices guaranteed by the state for farmers’ produce. (ANI)

Europe’s first farmers were migrants who settled about 7,500 years ago

Washington, September 4 (ANI): The analysis of ancient DNA from skeletons suggests that Europe’s first farmers were not the descendants of Stone Age hunter-gatherers in the region, but were probably migrants who came into major areas of central and eastern Europe about 7,500 years ago, bringing domesticated plants and animals with them.

The research involved the analysis of DNA from hunter-gatherer and early farmer burials, and compared those to each other and to the DNA of modern Europeans.

They conclude that there is little evidence of a direct genetic link between the hunter-gatherers and the early farmers, and 82 percent of the types of mtDNA found in the hunter-gatherers are relatively rare in central Europeans today.

The team from Mainz University in Germany, together with researchers from UCL (University College London) and Cambridge, found that the first farmers in central and northern Europe could not have been the descendents of the hunter-gatherers that came before them.

Humans arrived in Europe 45,000 years ago and replaced the Neandertals. From that period on, European hunter-gatherers experienced lots of climatic changes, including the last Ice Age.

After the end of the Ice Age, some 11,000 years ago, the hunter-gatherer lifestyle survived for a couple of thousand years but was then gradually replaced by agriculture.

The question was whether this change in lifestyle from hunter-gatherer to farmer was brought to Europe by new people, or whether only the idea of farming spread.

The new results from the Mainz-led team seem to solve much of this long-standing debate.

“Our analysis shows that there is no direct continuity between hunter-gatherers and farmers in Central Europe,” said Prof Joachim Burger. “As the hunter-gatherers were there first, the farmers must have immigrated into the area,” he added.

The study identifies the Carpathian Basin as the origin for early Central European farmers.

“It seems that farmers of the Linearbandkeramik culture immigrated from what is modern day Hungary around 7,500 years ago into Central Europe, initially without mixing with local hunter gatherers,” said Barbara Bramanti, first author of the study.

The new study confirms what Joachim Burger’s team showed in 2005; that the first farmers were not the direct ancestors of modern European.

According to Burger, “We are still searching for those remaining components of modern European ancestry. European hunter-gatherers and early farmers alone are not enough. But new ancient DNA data from later periods in European prehistory may shed also light on this in the future.” (ANI)

Scientists determine dog’s place and date of birth

Washington, September 2 (ANI): The place and the point in time when dogs first emerged have been identified, claim researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden.

“For the first time in history it is now possible to provide a detailed picture of the dog including birthplace, point in time and the number of wolves that were tamed,” says Peter Savolainen, a biology researcher at KTH.

Working with Swedish and Chinese collaborators, he has made a number of new discoveries concerning the history of man’s best friend.

He has established that the dog arrived 16 000 years ago in Asia, south of the Yangtze River in China.

“Our previous discoveries from 2002 have not been fully accepted; however with this new data acceptance will probably be greater. The picture is much more detailed,” Peter says.

He says that the point in time when the dog emerged is well in line with the point when the population of this part of the world changed from hunting and gathering to farming as a way of life-10 000 to 12 000 years ago.

According to Peter, this research indicates that the dog has only one geographical origin, but is descended from a large number of animals.

“Considering that it involved so many wolves, this indicates that this event was important and a major part of the culture,” he says.

The research result comes from genetical analysis of mitochondrial DNA from 1 500 dogs, from all over the earth.

An article highlighting the findings has been published in the scientific journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. (ANI)

“Blight” may play spoilsport for farmers’ hope of good crop in Punjab

Amritsar, Aug.31 (ANI): Punjab farmers were full of optimism of harvesting a bumper crop of paddy despite a delayed monsoon, but now they fear crop damage due to attack of “Blight”, a bacterial disease.

Worried farmers allege that the agriculture department is not guiding them how to protect their crop from Blight. owever, at several places, the farmers, who had transplanted paddy, which was in good shape earlier, seem to be fighting a fast losing battle because of the widespread attack of “Blight”.

In various affected villages in the border districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur, the farmers today estimate nearly 50 percent of damage to paddy due to “Blight”, if it’s not controlled in time.

“The disease appeared as yellowish green stripes running from tip downwards and the affected leaf started drying from the margins. Since most of the farmers are unaware about the remedies so agriculture department should come forward to educate the farmers to tackle this problem,” said Jagdev Singh, one of the farmers.

Mangdev Singh, Sarpanch (village head) of Chiina Pati Village said, “Blight has dashed our hopes. We were expecting very good returns from paddy. In all the 500 acres of village paddy was transplanted. “Blight” attack has started in patches. If we fail to control, this could cause damage of al the crop here.

Singh said that they have contacted the department. Though the Agricultural Department accepts the damage to crops, it is not prepared to quantify it as yet.

In Amritsar district alone, of the nearly 183,000 hectares of land, Basmati was transplanted in about 90,000 hectares of land and in the rest of the farming land other variety of paddy was transplanted.

According to Gurdeep Singh, an Agriculture Development Officer, the disease has been noticed in all varieties of paddy grown in the areas of border belt.

“Since the disease develops more in high humid conditions, farmers should not allow stagnation of water in the fields.

Farmers should not spray pesticides to control the disease, as these are not effective against it,” said Gurdeep Singh. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)

Unique acacia tree could nourish soils in Africa

Washington, August 25 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have said that a type of acacia tree with an unusual growth habit, which is unlike virtually all other trees, holds particular promise for farmers in Africa as a free source of nitrogen for their soils that could last generations.

With its nitrogen-fixing qualities, the tall, long-lived acacia tree, Faidherbia albida could limit the use of fertilizers; provide fodder for livestock, wood for construction and fuel wood, and medicine through its bark, as well as windbreaks and erosion control to farmers across sub-Saharan Africa.

According to scientists, the tree illustrates the benefits of growing trees on farms and is adapted to an incredibly wide array of climates and soils from the deserts to the humid tropics.

“Growing the right tree in the right place on farms in sub-Saharan Africa-and worldwide- has the potential to slow climate change, feed more people, and protect the environment,” said Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre.

“This tree, as a source of free, organic nitrogen, is an example of that. There are many other examples of solutions to African farming that exist here already,” he added.

The Faidherbia acacia tree has the quality of “reverse leaf phenology,” which drives the tree to go dormant and shed its nitrogen-rich leaves during the early rainy season – when seeds are being planted and need the nitrogen – and then to re-grow its leaves when the dry season begins and crops are dormant.

This makes it highly compatible with food crops because it does not compete with them for light-only the bare branches of the tree’s canopy spread overhead while crops grow to maturity.

Their leaves and pods provide a crucial source of fodder in the dry season for livestock when other plants have dried up.

The unique acacia tree is a frequent component of farming systems of Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Ethiopia, and in parts of northern Ghana, northern Nigeria, and northern Cameroon.

The tree is growing on over 4.8 million hectares of land in Niger. Half a million farmers in Malawi and in the southern highlands of Tanzania grow the tree on their maize fields.

In Malawi, maize yields were increased up to 280 percent in the zone under the tree canopy compared with the zone outside the tree canopy.

In Zambia, recent unpublished observations showed that unfertilized maize yields in the vicinity of the Faidherbia trees averaged 4.1 tonnes per hectare, compared to 1.3 tonnes nearby but beyond the tree canopy. (ANI)

Sugarcane farming to be discouraged in Surat

Bardoli (Gujarat), Aug 25 (ANI): The irrigation department has decided to turn off water taps next year, leaving sugarcane farmers high and dry in Bardoli subdivision of Gujarat’s Surat district.

The notice was forced by sharp decline in the water level of Ukai Dam because of inadequate monsoon rainfall in the region.

The farmers thought that since their farms were acclimatized to grow sugarcane they can’t sow other crop.

“The irrigation department has issued a notice that Ukai Dam has around 311 feet water level hence water wouldn’t be supplied for new sugarcane crop. But south Gujarat has maximum sugar factories. And since our land has acclimatized to grow sugarcane, we will have no profit if we try to sow some other crop,” said Girish Patel, a farmer.

Even the sugar factory owners in the region believe that the decision by irrigation department would hit the sugarcane production in the region.

“Gujarat produced 95 lakh ton sugar last year. This year too the state is expected to experience the same produce may be more. But because of unavailability of water from the irrigation department, it may be reduced to 40-50 lakh ton. I think there is going to be decline in sugar production,” said Babu Bhai Patel, Chairman, Bardoli sugar factory.

Monsoon rainfall has been 29 per cent below average this year, pushed the country to the brink of drought, reduced water levels in dams, putting pressure on food prices and energy supplies and imperilling overall growth. By Dharmesh (ANI)

Samajwadi Party targets opportunistic Congress, but says will support UPA

Agra (Uttar Pradesh) Aug.21 (ANI): Concluding a three-day National Conference here on Friday, a sulking Samajwadi Party leadership accused the Congress of being “opportunistic” and announced a mass agitation programme against UPA government, but ruled out withdrawal of outside support to it for now.

Having lost in four Assembly seats where bypolls were held in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party in a resolution also targeted the Mayawati Government in the state, saying it and the UPA were pursuing “anti-people” and “anti-national” policies.

It said that the Samajwadi Party had supported the Congress-led coalition at the Centre to weaken communal forces.

“But the government after announcing revolutionary steps to end unemployment, educational reforms and foodgrains support in 100 days, had done nothing so far in this regard,” it alleged, while announcing the agitation against the Centre and UP government in January next year.

However, party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, asserted that “there is no question of withdrawing support from UPA as of now.

“We will take to the streets against both Congress and BSP. We will launch a ‘Jail Bharo’ agitation between January 19 and 23, 2010 against BSP, during which both me and Kalyan Singh will court arrest,” Yadav told reporters on Friday.

The political and economic resolution cleared by the party’s national executive made no reference to SP withdrawing support from the UPA.

Asked about the results of bypolls to four assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, where two seats were wrested from it, Yadav said, “this is not the people’s verdict. State government officials ensured BSP’s victory. They had arrested our cadre to ensure our defeat.”

The results are being seen as a setback for the party, which is trying to regain its position in the state after the 2007 assembly polls and the recent general elections.

“We want to make people aware why there is a need for an agitation against BSP in Uttar Pradesh. During this period, our party workers will hold meetings with the people at grassroot levels where they will highlight the weaknesses of the BSP government in UP,” Yadav said.

He also cited the ongoing farming season as a reason for the timing of the agitation.

The SP lamented India “kowtowing to foreign powers and sacrificing the country’s economic interests”.

The government, the party resolution alleged, had failed to boost agricultural production, control prices, take action against food adulteration, tackle unemployment and give Indian languages their rightful place in official and court work.

It criticised the US and other developed countries for their “double standards” on the issue of greenhouse emissions.

It also referred to the alleged attempts by China to disturb the flow of Himalayan rivers which could result in environmental disaster for India. (ANI)

Giant robotic cages may one day roam the seas as future fish farms

Washington, August 19 (ANI): If scientists have their way, giant robotic cages may one day roam the seas as future fish farms, which could help produce greener, healthier, and more numerous fish.

According to a report in National Geographic News, scientists propose that in the future, giant, autonomous fish farms may whir through the open ocean, mimicking the movements of wild schools or even allowing fish to forage “free range” before capturing them once again.

Such motorized cages could help produce greener, healthier, and more numerous fish, just when humans need them the most.

The world’s growing population is devouring seafood as quickly as it can be caught and has seriously depleted the world’s wild fish stocks, warn experts.

Traditional fish farms typically consist of cages submerged in shallow, calm waters near shore, where they are protected from the weather and easily accessible for feeding and maintenance.

But, raising fish in such close quarters can contribute to the spread of disease among the animals, and wastes may foul the waters.

Cages must be moved to keep the waters clean and the fish healthy.

Deepwater cages offer cleaner, more freely circulating ocean water and natural food, which can yield tastier fish.

But, the deep-sea cages must be built to withstand the rigors of the deep ocean. And because they are harder for humans to access, “smarter,” self-sufficient cages could be key.

That’s one reason that Cliff Goudey, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Offshore Aquaculture Engineering Center, is building cages that can move under their own power.

Goudey has equipped an Aquapod cage, produced by Maine-based Ocean Farm Technologies, with a pair of 2.4-meter (8-foot) diameter propellers, which can be steered easily by controllers on a boat to which the cage is tethered.

Aquapods are composed of triangular panels covered with vinyl-coated, galvanized steel netting and come in sizes from 8 to 28 meters in diameter (26 to 92 feet in diameter).

Goudey’s technology gives fish farmers a way to rotate cage locations without towing cages behind boats.

Someday such automated cages could herald an entirely new form of fish farming.

They might be turned loose to mimic natural systems by following carefully chosen ocean currents.

The robotic fish farms could help lead to larger, healthier crops of farmed fish far from crowded coastal areas, where farmed fish both suffer from poor water quality and, by producing waste, add to water woes.

Cages might even generate their own electricity by harnessing solar energy, wave energy, or other forms of renewable power. (ANI)