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2023 is international year of millets: FAO
7 Dec, 2018
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has decided to observe 2023 as the International Year of Millets, upon the request from the Indian government, Agriculture Ministry said. The decision was taken at the 160th session of FAO Council, which also approved India’s membership to the Executive Board of the World Food Program (WFP) for 2020 and 2021. The development will enhance global awareness to bring back these nutri-cereals to the plate, for food and nutrition security and for increasing production to face the challenges posed by climate change, globally.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/2023-is-international-year-of-millets-fao/article25691789.ece
Jharkhand to become India's organic hub
4 Dec, 2018
Jharkhand state is set to become the organic hub of India, with the government of the eastern state establishing an organic cluster in each of its 24 districts and the products manufactured would be branded as 'Jharkhand Jaivik' (JJ). Jharkhand Green Revolutionary Company will be formed in the state which will provide farm equipments to the poor and tribal farmers of the state at a much cheaper rate.
http://www.ficci.in/ficci-in-news-page.asp?nid=16025
Top six innovations leading to farming revolution
10 Dec, 2018
Innovations in farming community have seen a rise in productivity in the last few years. In 1798, economist Thomas Malthus predicted that the world would exceed its food supply by the late 20th century. There are numerous challenges faced by farming community to feed the increasing population. In the last half-century agricultural production has tripled. After a wide range of surveys, one answer came out and that was the ‘Innovations’ which has paved the way for success in agriculture.
https://krishijagran.com/blog/top-six-innovations-leading-to-farming-revolution/
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CLIMATE CHANGE
Six feet under, a new approach to global warming
26 Nov, 2018
A Washington State University researcher has found that one-fourth of the carbon held by soil is bound to minerals as far as six feet below the surface. The discovery opens a new possibility for dealing with the element as it continues to warm the Earth's atmosphere. One hitch: Most of that carbon is concentrated deep beneath the world's wet forests, and they won't sequester as much as global temperatures continue to rise.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/wsu-sfu111918.php
World Bank to invest $200bn to combat climate change
3 Dec, 2018
The World Bank is to make about $200bn (£157bn) available to fund action on climate change from 2021-25, helping countries adapt to the effects of warming and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The sum represents a doubling of the five-year investment plan put in place after the landmark Paris agreement of 2015.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/dec/03/world-bank-invest-climate-change
Climate change was behind 15 weather disasters in 2017, studies say
11 Dec, 2018
A drought that scorched the Great Plains, causing wildfires and $2.5 billion in agriculture losses. Catastrophic floods that submerged more than a third of Bangladesh. Record-shattering heat waves that killed scores of people in Europe and China. These were among 15 extreme weather events in 2017 that were made more likely by human-cased climate change, according to a suite of in-depth studies published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.
https://www.nola.com/weather/2018/12/climate-change-was-behind-15-weather-disasters-in-2017-studies-say.html
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DROUGHTS
UK summer drought 30 times more likely due to climate change
11 Dec,
2018
Human-induced climate change has made the 2018 record-breaking UK summer about 30 times more likely to occur than it would be naturally. The Met Office has told delegates at an international climate change conference in Poland that there was now a 12% chance of the drought-inducing temperatures returning.
https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/uk-summer-drought-30-times-more-likely-due-to-climate-change/
El Paso, Texas residents to drink treated sewage water due to drought
30 Nov, 2018
The people of El Paso, Texas, are resilient. Living in the middle of the harsh Chihuahuan Desert, the city has no other choice. On average, 15 days every year spike over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The city gets little relief with annual rainfall of just about 9 inches. It's one of the hottest cities in the country. Now, El Paso is on track to become the first large city in the United States to treat its sewage water and send it directly back into its taps.
https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/national/el-paso-texas-residents-to-drink-treated-sewage-water-due-to-climate-change-drought
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FLOODS
More than 100 rescued from Vic floodwaters: Australia
14 Dec,
2018
Authorities remain on alert for rising floodwaters across Victoria after heavy falls drenched the state, stranding about 120 people on a freeway. About 120 people had to be relocated from a flooded Hume Freeway in northeast Victoria, including 17 winched to safety by helicopter, as heavy rains drenched the state. Across the state people are warned to be careful of rising rivers as floodwaters make their way through the system.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/choppers-used-to-rescue-17-from-vic-floods/news-story/b08afbd149fecd3dd1c51dd3fe93c6ee?nk=65eb1ff2d95d9fccffccca430523c8c7-1544766722
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FOOD SECURITY
Around 20 million face food insecurity in Yemen due to conflict: UN
8 Dec, 2018
Around 20 million Yemenis are food insecure, UN agencies have said, adding the conflict ravaging the impoverished country was the key driver behind rising hunger levels. According to the IPC - whose analysis is necessary to decide whether to declare famine in countries - the 20 million people facing "severe acute food insecurity" represent 67% of Yemen's population.
https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1208/1016027-yemen/
UN agency urges action to cut 1.3-B tons of food wasted globally
8 Dec, 2018
Food wastage has become a primary concern of Quezon City authorities after reports from FAO revealed that 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted globally. The report also noted that one in every seven people in the world go hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of five die from hunger daily.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/12/08/un-agency-urges-action-to-cut-1-3-b-tons-of-food-wasted-globally/
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IRRIGATION
An innovative drip irrigation system by Irritec
7 Nov,
2018
In drip irrigation, if the water is having more solid suspended material in the water, that blocks the drips holes and there are chances that the crop may not get the desired water for the irrigation. In view of this, IRRITEC has come out with the revolutionary drip system by overcoming the problems of waters with a high percentage of suspended solid.
https://krishijagran.com/news/irritec-s-innovative-drip-irrigation-system/
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Water scarcity hits major crops in Balochistan: Pakistan
11 Dec, 2018
Farmers in Balochistan are not able to grow any major crops like wheat due to scarcity of water and inputs, and the comparative edge of climate in the province is being exploited by fruits and vegetable growers, according to ‘Soil Fertility Atlas’ jointly released by FAO and the US Department of Agriculture. Almost 81 percent of farmers complained that water scarcity is the major constraint hampering agricultural activities throughout the province, while unavailability of good quality seed was reported by 65 percent of farmers whereas access to agricultural loans was limited to 61 percent farmers.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1450775/water-scarcity-hits-major-crops-in-balochistan
Pune restaurants adopt 'Half-Filled Glass' initiative to tackle water scarcity: India
8 Dec, 2018
In an effort to lower wastage of water, around 400 restaurants in Pune have begun serving only half-filled glasses of water to guests. Additionally, the restaurants would not refill the glasses until asked for the same by the guests. The Pune Restaurant and Hoteliers Association (PRAHA) will also be handing out "theme cards" to hotels and restaurants to spread the word about water conservation.
https://www.ndtv.com/pune-news/pune-eateries-adopt-half-filled-glass-measure-to-save-water-1959816
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (9IMIC), 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://micro-irrigation2019.com/
International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
Website: www.damsafety.in/idsc2019
5th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID), 16-19 March 2020, Rabat, Morocco on the theme: Sustainable Management of Irrigation for Improved Resilience of Agriculture in Africa.
Website: http://www.anafide.net/
Water for Food Global Conference 2019, 29-30 April 2019, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA on the theme: Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security.
Website: https://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/news-and-events
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)
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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 @ https://bit.ly/2Q6O
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