Britain's first 'vertical farm' to produce its first crop with help of robot 'Frank' 18 Nov, 2018 Forget
all those traditional images you have of agriculture: rolling fields,
combine harvesters and lumbering tractors, even greenhouses and
polytunnels. A 'vertical farm' in Scunthorpe has the potential to change
agriculture forever. Only four human beings work at the vast warehouse,
bathed in eerie pink light. It is designed to produce 500 tonnes of
plants annually starting with fresh herbs. A single robot — called Frank
— is responsible for gathering trays of plants. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6403635/Britains-vertical-farm-produce-crop-help-robot.html
Four Agri-Tech innovations in Asia Pacific are changing the game for agriculture 19 Nov, 2018 We
seldom think of how the food on our table gets there, much less how it
was farmed, harvested, and delivered, but agriculture is also
experiencing a seismic shift through tech-enablement. The so-called
agri-tech is growing in Asia Pacific both among startups dedicated to
the space as well as horizontal companies that target the sector in some
way. Here are four tech companies from Asia Pacific that can give you
an idea of how entrepreneurs can innovate in agriculture. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/323463
Bonds soon to meet power subsidy to agriculture connections: India 22 Oct, 2018 The
State government’s subsidy bill towards agricultural connections is on
the rise during the last four years with the demand for connections
increasing significantly. It has to foot a subsidy bill of about ₹6,030
crore (60.3 billion) during the current fiscal. As the budgetary
allocations do not match the demand, it is contemplating issuing bonds
in near future. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/bonds-soon-to-meet-power-subsidy-to-agriculture-connections/article25281503.ece
[Top] CLIMATE CHANGE
G20 nations still led by fossil fuel industry: Climate report 14 Nov, 2018 Among
the G20 nations 15 reported a rise in emissions last year, according to
the most comprehensive stock-take to date of progress towards the goals
of the Paris climate agreement. The paper, by the global partnership
Climate Transparency, found 82% of energy in these countries still being
provided by coal, oil and gas, a factor which has relied on an increase
of about 50% in subsidies over the past 10 years to compete with
increasingly cheap wind, solar and other renewable energy sources. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/14/g20-nations-still-led-by-fossil-fuel-industry-climate-report-finds
Shrinking Swiss glacier hosts world's largest postcard 17 Nov, 2018 A
postcard aimed at creating awareness about global warming and climate
change has been laid out on Switzerland's rapidly shrinking Aletsch
glacier. Organisers claim the postcard consisting of 125,000 children's
drawings and messages is the world's largest. The glacier, which experts
faer could disapper by 2100, is losing up to 12 metres of ice a year. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46248470
Farms of every type and size have to be climate smart 19 Nov, 2018 An
annual review by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), a
wing of the agriculture ministry, has said that crops, plantations and
livestock in 151 districts, or slightly more than one-fifth of the total
districts in India, are susceptible to the impact of climate
change. Using data sets created by the University of Delaware and India
Meteorological Department, the review projected that climate change
could reduce annual agricultural incomes in the range of 15-18% on
average and up to 20-25% in unirrigated areas. https://www.hindustantimes.com/editorials/why-farms-of-every-type-and-size-have-to-be-climate-smart/story-8KgIg0caOTP0acZswrMhXP.html
[Top] DROUGHTS Drought has hit Europe's Rhine River and its commerce hard 12 Nov, 2018 A
prolonged dry spell across Germany and Central Europe that began with
record-breaking summer heat wave and extended through what is usually a
rainy autumn season has reduced the depth, volume and width of the
765-mile-long Rhine to levels that are precarious for ships and
commerce. https://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-europe-germany-rhine-20181112-story.html
Afghan opium cultivation down 20 percent due to severe drought: UN 19 Nov, 2018 A
new United Nations survey finds that opium cultivation in Afghanistan
has decreased by 20 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year,
citing a severe drought and falling prices of dry opium at the national
level. The total opium-poppy cultivation area decreased to 263,000
hectares, from 328,000 hectares estimated in 2017, but it was still the
second highest measurement for Afghanistan since the U.N. Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) began monitoring in 1994. https://www.voanews.com/a/un-says-afghan-opium-cultivation-drops-by-20-percent/4664563.html
[Top] FLOODS Tourists flee as flash floods trigger sirens at popular desert attraction: Jordan 19 Nov, 2018 Desert
flash flooding struck the World Heritage site of Petra, setting off a
flood alarm system for the first time since its fitting in 2014. A video
shows a fast flowing stream gushing towards the popular attraction,
while tourists escape through a narrow canyon with the assistance of
guides. https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1047353/jordan-flash-flooding-floods-2018-petra-desert [Top] FOOD SECURITY
Trade, animal disease, weather threaten 2019 food security 15 Nov, 2018 While
the global food price environment remains relatively stable, ongoing
geopolitical tension, the threat of El Niño weather system and diseases
affecting livestock bring great uncertainty to the outlook for 2019,
according to research from Rabobank, the specialty food and agribusiness
bank. https://www.feedstuffs.com/news/trade-animal-disease-weather-threaten-2019-food-security
Yemen suffers world's worst food insecurity: UN humanitarian chief 17 Nov, 2018 The
UN humanitarian chief warned that Yemen suffers the worst food
insecurity in the world and the ongoing conflict is worsening
circumstances for a humanitarian response. Due to the fighting,
humanitarian programs have been scaled back in the port of Hodeidah, a
crucial gateway for aid efforts. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-11/17/c_137613769.htm
[Top] IRRIGATION
Niger seeks World Bank’s assistance to revive 17 irrigation schemes 15 Nov, 2018 The
permanent secretary in the ministry of agriculture and rural
development, Ibrahim Musa, has said that Niger state needs help from the
World Bank-sponsored Fadama programme to reactivate 17 irrigation
schemes and improve mechanisation to encourage youths and women
involvement in agriculture. https://www.legit.ng/1204146-niger-seeks-world-banks-assistance-revive-17-irrigation-schemes.html
[Top] WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
New toilet can save 30% of water and 30% of consumers' water bills 20 Nov, 2018 South
Africa has developed a revolutionary new toilet that uses less than two
litres of water for a full flush – saving around 700 litres of water a
person every month. Normal lavatories use between six and 12 litres for
each flush and account for 30% to 40% of a household's water use, so the
new loo can save on water bills. https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/new-toilet-can-save-30-of-water-and-30-of-consumers-water-bills-20181120
City of Cape Town to harness stormwater to boost water resources: South Africa 13 Nov, 2018 Stormwater
is set to become a new water resource, the City of Cape Town has said.
Instead of rushing down gutters and into the sea, stormwater will be
kept and used. Just how it will be incorporated into the water system,
or how much of it will be captured, is still in the planning
stages. Having dodged Day Zero, the strategy is part of Cape Town's path
to becoming a "water-sensitive city". https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/city-of-cape-town-to-harness-stormwater-to-boost-water-resources-20181113
[Top] 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/
[Top] 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/2Q6OU |
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