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Agriculture looks to space in latest push for precision agriculture
11 Oct, 2017
Calgary: Farmers are looking to space in the continuous push to better know what’s going on in their fields. One of the latest is a partnership between Winnipeg-based Farmers Edge and San Francisco-based Planet, with the two planning to combine precision agriculture programs with what they say is the world’s largest fleet of earth imaging satellites to better monitor the health of crops.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/business-news/agriculture-looks-to-space-in-latest-push-for-precision-agriculture/
UK farmers do not need EU, will grab global Brexit 'opportunities'
11 Oc
t, 2017
UK farmers do not need the European Union and will grab global export “opportunities” such as trade with China by both hands, Phil Bicknell, market intelligence director at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, said. According to a new report by the AHDB, British farmers could get a post-Brexit income boost if the government strikes a free-trade deal with the European Union. Dairy farmers would get the biggest boost from the post-Brexit trade, while those dependent on exports would continue to make a stable income.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/864933/brexit-news-latest-uk-eu-theresa-may-bbc-today-brussels-farmer-export-agriculture-china
Vegetable grower wins trio of giant food titles
10 Oct, 2017
A vegetable grower in Rhode Island in the U.S. is the first in the world to achieve a trifecta in the hobby of growing gargantuan foods. He has set the world record for heaviest pumpkin, longest long gourd and now, heaviest squash. His squash tipped the scales at 960 kg. Mr. Joe Jutras has been working on the trifecta for a decade, ever since his pumpkin win.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/vegetable-grower-wins-trio-of-giant-food-titles/article19835113.ece
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change 'probably doing good': Abbott
11 Oct, 2017
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told British climate change sceptics that a 'gradual lift in global temperatures' may be beneficial and likened climate scientists to the 'thought police'. On Monday in London Mr. Abbott told the Global Warming Policy Foundation's annual lecture extreme weather events were not getting worse, but did more damage because there is 'more to destroy'.
http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/10/11/climate-change--probably-doing-good---abbott.html
NASA satellite sees overheated tropical forests oozing with carbon dioxide
13 Oct, 2017
NASA's latest carbon dioxide-mapping satellite has detected a dramatic spike in the amount of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, measuring the largest annual increase Earth has seen in at least 2,000 years. The cause is attributed to overheating of three major tropical forest regions across the globe.
https://www.space.com/38465-carbon-dioxide-from-overheated-tropical-forests.html
Maharashtra nod for climate change policy: India
10 Oct, 2017
To mitigate the impact of climate change on Maharashtra, the state cabinet on Tuesday approved a climate change adaption policy for the creation of environment-friendly cities and villages. The policy suggests an overhaul of the disaster management systems and creation of special plans for vulnerable districts, re-use of sewage water, plans for solid waste and drainage water management and strict vehicle emission standards. This will also cover allowing constructions only beyond the flood lines on river banks.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-maharashtra-nod-for-climate-change-policy-2551984
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DROUGHTS
Drought and heat, worsened by humans, help fuel California fires
11 Oct, 2017
Thousands of residents in Northern California remained out of their homes on Tuesday because of evacuation orders. The smoke from fires at the north end of San Francisco Bay was so thick that people 50 miles away, in Oakland and nearby communities, wore bandanas and white surgical masks.
https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/10/11/drought-and-heat-worsened-by-humans-help-fuel-california-fires/23239738/
Ventura County still in drought, lake shrinking despite rainy year
8 Oct, 2017
In a sixth year of drought, Ventura County’s rivers and creeks got a small reprieve last winter, but not enough. Storms in early 2017 pushed rainfall totals above normal throughout Southern California. But unlike most of the state, the drought in Ventura County hasn’t gone away yet.
http://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/2017/10/08/ventura-county-still-drought-lake-shrinking-despite-rainy-year/727785001/
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FLOODS
Vietnam floods: Death toll rises to 68 as swathes of land washed away
14 Oct, 2017
Hanoi: The death toll in Vietnam from landslides and heavy rain triggered by a tropical depression earlier this week has climbed to 68, with another 34 people missing. The Vietnam Disaster Management Authority said in a statement on Sunday that the disasters have also injured 32 people, damaged infrastructure and killed more than 230,000 livestock in central and northern regions.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/death-toll-in-vietnam-floods-rises-to-68-20171015-gz19ev.html
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FOOD SECURITY
More than 20 million ‘at risk of starvation’ in developing world
12 Oct, 2017
The number of hungry people in the world “remains unacceptably high” with millions still experiencing chronic hunger and many places suffering from acute food crises and even famine, according to the latest Global Hunger Index (GHI). The regions of the world struggling most with hunger are South Asia and Africa south of the Sahara, with scores in the “serious range”.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/more-than-20-million-at-risk-of-starvation-in-developing-world-1.3252815
India seeks permanent solution on food security at WTO meet
11 Oct, 2017
Speaking at an informal WTO Ministerial gathering of 35 WTO member countries in Marrakesh, Morocco, early this week, Commerce & Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said that a permanent solution on public stockholding was of tremendous importance not only to India but also several other developing countries.
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/india-seeks-permanent-solution-on-food-security-at-wto-meet/article9901446.ece
150 restaurants will donate proceeds to Puerto Rico on World Food Day
3 Oct, 2017
On October 13, World Central Kitchen’s fourth-annual World Food Day, 150 restaurants nationwide will donate 10 percent of their proceeds to World Central Kitchen’s ongoing operations in Puerto Rico and to a new culinary school in Port au Prince, Haiti. The participating restaurants include Stephanie Izard’s the Girl and the Goat in Chicago, Mario Batali’s Otto in New York, and Andrés’s own D.C. restaurants Jaleo and Beefsteak, among many others.
https://www.eater.com/2017/10/3/16413752/world-food-day-world-central-kitchen-puerto-rico-benefit
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IRRIGATION
285 new irrigation projects inaugurated on India Water Week 2017
10 Oct, 2017
Union Minister of Water Resources Mr. Nitin Gadkari said that 27 PMKSY projects will be completed by this year and 285 new irrigation projects will be taken up by next year to provide irrigation for 1 crore 88 lakh hectare of land. He said drip irrigation and irrigation through pipeline will be the priority areas for the Government as this will save a large amount of water and also cut down the cost involved in acquiring land.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/government-press-release/india-water-week-2017-inaugurated-285-new-irrigation-projects-to-be-117101000441_1.html
Rs. 8,500 crore GST relief for Telangana irrigation projects: India
7 Oct, 2017
Hyderabad: In a major relief for Telangana, the GST Council, in its 22nd meeting in New Delhi on Friday, reduced the Goods and Services Tax(GST) from 12% to 5% on Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya and all irrigation projects that have less than 25% material component. This reduction in the GST will save Telangana nearly 8,500 crore in a single year.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/rs-8500-crore-gst-relief-for-telangana-irrigation-projects/articleshow/60979329.cms
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Cabinet approves MoU between India, Morocco on water resources
12 Oct, 2017
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday gave its approval for signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Morocco. The main objective is to enhance cooperation in the field of water resources development and management within the framework of their expertise and their respective legislations.
http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/cabinet-approves-mou-between-india-and-morocco-on-cooperation-in-the-field-of-water-resources-1507781422-1
Researchers propose an open ‘internet of water’ tracking use, quality and costs
14 Oct, 2017
As fresh water becomes more and more valuable a resource, there is an increasing need for shared, open ‘internet of water’ to answer them, say researchers from Duke University and the Aspen Institute. With natural disasters like droughts and flooding, and with man-made problems like overcrowded cities and factory runoff, the water system is frequently overtaxed and understudied.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/13/researchers-propose-an-open-internet-of-water-tracking-use-quality-and-costs/?ncid=mobilenavtrend
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Global Water Security for Agriculture and Natural Resources (GWSAN): An ASABE Global Inititaive Conference, Hyderabad, India, 3-6 October 2018.
Website: http://www.asabewater.org/
Drainage and Flood Control Summit, 26 - 27 November 2017, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Website: https://drainagefloodcontrol.com/
8th Asian Regional Conference, 2-4 May 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal, on the theme “Irrigation in Support of an Evergreen Revolution”
Website:http://nencid.org.np/
69th IEC & Regional Conference, 12–17 August, 2018, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on the theme: Innovative and Sustainable Agri-water Management: Adapting to a Variable and Changing Climate.
Website: http://www.icid2018.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
National Agriculture Policy, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, September 2016.
Agriculture remains the mainstay of Malawi’s economy, contributing significantly to employment, economic growth, export earnings, poverty reduction, food security, and nutrition. It also plays a critical role in ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. All of these pose a threat to food security and nutrition in the face of a growing population, increased land pressure, and climate change. In trying to address these challenges in the past, Malawi has over-concentrated on maize self-sufficiency for food and tobacco as a cash crop, at the expense of other agricultural commodities, including livestock and fisheries. Moreover, the sector remains predominantly subsistence-oriented. In response, the NAP seeks to sustainably transform the sector from subsistence to a market orientation in order to increase agricultural production, marketed surpluses of commodities, and real incomes.
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/NAP_Final_Signed.pdf
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