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Agrosuper’s AquaChile deal to create world’s second largest salmon farmer
6 Aug, 2018
Major Chilean agribusiness conglomerate Agrosuper's unexpected announcement that it has agreed to buy two-thirds of Chile's largest salmon farmer, Empresas AquaChile, would create a giant company with a production of over 200,000 metric tons of fish, industry sources in Chile said.
https://www.undercurrentnews.com/2018/08/06/agrosuper-snaps-up-majority-stake-in-aquachile/
Five innovative agricultural practices that are changing the world
7 Aug,
2018
Digitization in the modern age means that almost every contemporary field or industry is becoming more and more reliant on hardware connected to and, in some cases, controlled by software. These industries are being transformed from the inside out by innovative technology and practices, and even traditionally analogue ways of life are finding it difficult to resist disruption. These innovative practices and technologies may very well prove to be more than just the future of farming and agriculture — they may be the very keys to the survival of the human race.
http://innovationexcellence.com/blog/2018/08/06/5-innovative-agricultural-practices-that-are-changing-the-world/
Farm museum opens in Wisconsin, U.S
6 Aug,
2018
The newest museum in Wisconsin allows visitors to try their hand at driving a combine at harvest time, lift a faux block of cheese, learn how yogurt is made and discover more about mink, fish, poultry and bison farms. An octagon-shaped birthing barn next to the museum allows visitors to watch two to five calves being born each day. The animals, shipped from a nearby farm, are behind a fully enclosed glass wall. The whole idea is to give a population that increasingly is removed from the day-to-day workings of a farm an immersive experience on how food goes from farm to table and to showcase the state's diverse and evolving agricultural industry.
http://www.startribune.com/farm-museum-opens-in-wisconsin/490123901/
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Domino-effect of climate events could move Earth into a ‘hothouse’ state
7 Aug, 2018
A domino-like cascade of melting ice, warming seas, shifting currents and dying forests could tilt the Earth into a “hothouse” state beyond which human efforts to reduce emissions will be increasingly futile, a group of leading climate scientists has warned. This grim prospect is sketched out in a journal paper that considers the combined consequences of 10 climate change processes, including the release of methane trapped in Siberian permafrost and the impact of melting ice in Greenland on the Antarctic.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/06/domino-effect-of-climate-events-could-push-earth-into-a-hothouse-state
Climate change could threaten the habitat of the endangered Nilgiri tahr: India
7 Aug,
2018
While a warming climate is expected to affect the distribution of wildlife inhabiting the Western Ghats, the impacts on Nilgiri tahr have so far been unknown. Now, a new study using ecological niche models paints a precarious picture of the future of the species in response to climate change. Extreme global warming could make an alarming 60 percent of their current suitable habitats unsuitable.
https://india.mongabay.com/2018/08/07/climate-change-could-threaten-the-habitat-of-the-endangered-nilgiri-tahr/
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DROUGHTS
New South Wales drought now affects entire state: Australia
8 Aug, 2018
Australia's most populous state, New South Wales (NSW), is now entirely in drought, officials have confirmed. Farmers have told harrowing stories of failing crops, severe water shortages and being unable to feed livestock. NSW produces about a quarter of Australia's agricultural output. It was officially listed as "100% in drought." The state and federal governments have provided A$576m (£330m; $430m) in emergency relief funding.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-45107504
EU speeds up funds for farmers amid drought
2 Aug, 2018
The European Union is offering to speed up funds for farmers to help them cope with the effects of drought across the continent. The EU's Executive Commission said that farmers could obtain at least 70 percent of their rural development funds from mid-October instead of December, so they can deal with any cash flow problems.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/08/02/latest-eu-speeds-up-funds-for-farmers-amid-drought.html
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FLOODS
Flash floods damage towns in northern Turkey’s Ordu
9 Aug, 2018
lash floods triggered by heavy rainfall caused serious damage in districts of the northern Turkish province of Ordu, affecting half million people, injuring dozens and leaving hundreds stranded, waiting to be rescued. The floods and subsequent landslides affected rural areas in Fatsa, Ünye, Perşembe, Ikizce, Çaybaşı and Aybastı districts.
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/2018/08/08/flash-floods-damage-towns-in-northern-turkeys-ordu
Government teams up with Google to improve flood management: India
10 July,
2018
The Central Water Commission (CWC) has signed a Collaboration Agreement with Google that will help crisis management agencies deal with extreme hydrological events, such as floods, more effectively. The agreement allows CWC to make use of Google’s artificial intelligence, machine learning and geospatial mapping expertise for effective water management and flood forecasting.
https://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-s-government-teams-google-improve-flood-management
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FOOD SECURITY
UN’s ShareTheMeal app is helping fight global hunger, one meal at a time
15 July, 2018
‘ShareTheMeal’ is an initiative by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian agency that fights hunger in over 80 countries. The app launched in late 2015 with the purpose of enabling people to donate for the “vital nutrition” of Syrian children, who had been displaced from their native land for nearly five years, and were cramped into refugee camps across Jordan.
https://yourstory.com/2018/07/app-fridays-uns-sharethemeal-app-helping-fight-global-hunger-one-meal-time/
Researchers say high seas fisheries play limited role in feeding the world
8 Aug, 2018
According to a recent study undertaken by a team of fisheries and social scientists from Dalhousie University, New York University, and National Geographic, fishing fleets operating outside of national waters contribute less than 3% to the world's seafood supply. This finding goes against the common assertion that high seas fisheries are important for food security.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-08/ngs-rsh080818.php
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IRRIGATION
Jain Irrigation bags Rs. 975-cr order to execute Mohanpura project: India
20 July,
2018
Jain Irrigation said it has received an order worth Rs. 975 crore from Madhya Pradesh government to execute the Mohanpura Major Project. The project Mohanpura is located in Rajgarh district- one of the underdeveloped districts of the state. "The value of the project is Rs. 975 crore and the project is to be completed in 36 months," the filing said. The project involves survey, design, engineering, planning and execution of various components. The company has to operate and maintain the project for three years after completion, it added.
https://www.firstpost.com/business/jain-irrigation-bags-rs-975-cr-order-from-madhya-pradesh-government-to-execute-mohanpura-project-4783591.html
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Mars has tons of newly discovered water in a 12-mile-wide reservoir
25 July, 2018
NASA is usually the organization that gets to regale the world with news of the latest and greatest space discoveries, but this time, the honor belongs to its partners. Radar data acquired by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter points to the existence of a giant, stable body of liquid water sitting under a 1.5-kilometer-thick sheet of ice near Mars’s south pole.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/astrophysics/scientists-find-a-giant-reservoir-of-liquid-water-under-the-surface-of-mars
China to enhance water resource protection along Tarim River
3 Aug, 2018
China will push forward water resource research and management in the Tarim River Basin, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The research will be based at an ecological protection and water resources management and research center along the Tarim River Basin, which was established in Korla in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/03/c_137366024.htm
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (IMIC), 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website:http://micro-irrigation2019.com/
Hurry!! Call for abstracts extended to 31 August 2018
Paper presentation will have to fall under the purview of any one of the topics within the sub-themes specified for the conference. Kindly access the link https://imic2019.ivyleaguesystems.com/ for online submission of abstract/ synopsis for the Conference.
For more details, please visit: http://micro-irrigation2019.com/paper-submission/
International Conference and 69th International Executive Council Meeting of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage, 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/
Global Water Security for Agriculture and Natural Resources (GWSAN), 3-6 October 2018, Hyderabad, India: An ASABE Global Initiative Conference.
Website: http://www.asabewater.org/
5th International Symposium on Dam Safety, 27-31 October 2018, Istanbul, Turkey
Website: http://www.damsafety2018.com/
International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
Website: www.damsafety.in/idsc2019
3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) and 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September 2019, Bali, Indonesia on the theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment.
Website: http://www.icid2019.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops 2018, published by NABARD
The study on Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops presents for the first time, maps on the water productivity of ten major Indian crops across cultivating districts and states. It builds on the expectation that if key decisions regarding irrigation, cropping patterns, input pricing, and incentive structures are predicated on water productivity of crops, it would ensure that water in agriculture is distributed more widely, water-use efficiency is enhanced, and Indian agriculture becomes more sustainable and productive in the long run. Thus, the study seeks to inform targeted policies and investment interventions for meeting the twin objectives of har khet ko pani (water to every field) and ‘more crop per drop’. The report will encourage policy makers to take note of and trigger an effective response to the looming water crisis faced by the agriculture sector in India. The book has been released as an Open Access and may be downloaded @ http://icrier.org/pdf/Water_Productivity_Mapping_of_Major_Indian_Crops.pd
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