CHHATTISGARH
Target to plant, distribute 3 crore saplings in 2023
The Forest and Climate Change Department in Chhattisgarh has set a target to plant and distribute three crore saplings in 2023.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests V. Srinivasa Rao said the plantation will be done under different schemes and on river banks.
A total of 59.76 lakh fruit-bearing plants including mango, jamun, vine, jackfruit, munga, custard apple, papaya, pomegranate, lemon, mulberry, almond, ber, tendu, Ganga tamarind and litchi are to be planted, Rao said.
There will also be forest produce and medicinal plants totalling 67.49 lakh and 30.42 lakh bamboo saplings.
The plan is to cover 410 hectares at about 10 kilometres on the banks of Hasdeo, Gagar, Banki, Badhura, Banas, Jamad, Mahanadi, Shivnath and Kharoon rivers. This will help to prevent soil erosion, said Rao.
The drive will also cover both sides of state roads and outside the forest area in private and government lands like Anganwadi, police outposts, gardens, hospitals, Gauthans, cremation grounds and government premises.
INTERNATIONAL
El Niño’s Potential Impact on Global Weather Patterns in 2023-2024
As the world enters an El Niño phase—a natural climate phenomenon characterized by warmer waters in the Pacific—countries are bracing themselves for extreme weather events. The El Niño pattern fuels tropical cyclones in the Pacific, increases rainfall and flood risks in parts of the Americas and other regions, and can have far-reaching implications. This year’s El Niño is of particular concern due to its potential interaction with climate change, which could result in record-high temperatures and intensified extreme weather events.
El Niño occurs when the trade winds in the equatorial Pacific slow down or reverse, causing unusually warm waters in the eastern Pacific. The weakening of trade winds leads to the movement of warm water from the western Pacific towards the central and eastern Pacific basins. This buildup of warm water contributes to the transfer of heat into the atmosphere, triggering thunderstorms and altering weather patterns worldwide.
NATIONAL
PM-KUSUM Scheme: Centre Explores Agri Infra Fund for Solar Projects on Farm Lands
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme, launched in 2019, aims to enhance energy security for farmers in India and promote the use of clean energy in the agriculture sector. The scheme seeks to achieve India’s commitment to increasing the share of non-fossil fuel sources in the country’s installed capacity of electric power. In a bid to boost the implementation of solar projects on agricultural lands, the central government is considering linking the PM-KUSUM scheme with the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF). This move aims to provide farmers with access to cheaper loans for setting up solar projects and procuring equipment.
Individual farmers, groups of farmers, cooperatives, panchayats, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), and Water User Associations (WUAs) can set up solar power plants with capacities ranging from 500 kW to 2 MW.
Price Support Scheme
The Indian government has eliminated restrictions on the maximum amount of certain pulses that can be procured, as a measure to control inflation and increase the supply. The limits on the procurement of tur, urad, and masoor under the Price Support Scheme operations for the 2023-24 period have been lifted. This decision ensures that these pulses can be purchased from farmers at the minimum support price without any restrictions.
The government’s commitment to procuring these pulses at profitable prices will encourage farmers to expand their cultivation of tur, urad, and masoor during the upcoming kharif and rabi sowing seasons, aiming to boost production.
The Price Support Scheme is a government initiative aimed at providing a safety net for agricultural producers by guaranteeing a minimum price for certain commodities. It involves the government purchasing the surplus produce from farmers at a pre-determined minimum price, which is often higher than the prevailing market rate. By doing so, the scheme aims to prevent the prices of these commodities from falling below a certain level.
UP Government launched Nand Baba Milk Mission scheme
The Nand Baba Milk Mission has been launched by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh with a budget of Rs 1,000 crore. Its aim is to boost milk production and empower milk producers by providing them with opportunities to sell their milk through dairy co-operative societies at fair prices.
The mission includes plans to set up Dairy Farmer Producer Organizations (Dairy FPOs) and to pilot five in different districts of the state in 2023-24, with a focus on female participation.
India ranks first in milk production globally, with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh being the top-five milk-producing states.
Uttar Pradesh is a prominent state in India’s dairy industry, with a strong presence in milk production, processing, and distribution through numerous cattle farms and cooperatives.
The state’s milk output is contributed by various cattle breeds such as Murrah buffaloes, Sahiwal, and Gir.
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