Shri Mrinal Sohkhwai (34 years), an unemployed youth from Borkhatsari Village, Marngar Cluster, Ri-Bhoi, Meghalaya and his family depended mainly on agriculture as a source of income. They used to grow crops like paddy, vegetables, spices (turmeric, ginger, black pepper) and rear local Pigs for the fattening purposes. Before the intervention of ICAR-Research Complex for North-Eastern Hills Region, Umiam, he used to rear local Pigs for fattening purposes. The production potential of local indigenous Pigs is very low in terms of growth rate and litter size. Thus, to increase the production potential of indigenous Pigs, the improved breeds of Piglets (Hampshire x Local Khasi) are introduced by ICAR-RC on NEH Region, Umiam under Farmers FIRST programme.     To reduce the feed cost, in addition to the concentrate Pig feed, he also provides homemade feed. He prepares feed for Pigs at home with locally available vegetables, colocasia leaves and stems,...

The cultivation of indigenous Red Paddy varieties has been given priority in the coastal Karnataka. But, being tall with lodging problems, it does not respond to the fertilizer and provides lesser yields. Generally, the paddy varieties like MO4 and indigenous variety - Kajejaya have been cultivated in large area even with a weeklong flood situation resulting in less production. The Mangalore Taluk of coastal Karnataka (Dakshina Kannada and Udupi) has 300 ha of paddy land inundating with the flood for long duration creating unfavorable situation for paddy cultivation and resulting in low production. Hence, the suitable paddy variety for low lying flood situation of the region is the need of the hour. To solve the problem, the Zonal Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station (ZAHRS), Brahmavar, Udupi District, Karnataka State released the flood-resistant Red Rice variety - Sahyadri Panchamukhi (under ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice Project) during 2019...

92nd Annual General Meeting of ICAR Society organized 27th January, 2021, New Delhi Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare addressed the 92nd Annual General Meeting of the ICAR Society today. Shri Tomar briefed about the science driven path developed by ICAR to resolve the various agricultural and farming problems along with the government's schemes for doubling the farmers' income by 2022. The Union Minister applauded the invincible efforts of the agricultural scientists, teachers, students and farmers associated with the Council. He also stressed that the farmers' hard work and latest technologies developed by the agricultural scientists have helped the country to achieve an important place in milk production and fisheries sector at the global level.     The Union Minister underlined the Central Government's implementation of several comprehensive schemes for enhancing the production and productivity...

The Ticks are harmful as blood sucking parasites severely affect productivity of dairy animals and a major economic impediment, welfare concern in dairy farming. The Ticks bites reduce feed intake of animals due to irritation caused by feeding activities influencing the host’s metabolism. The sucking of not less than 30 drops of blood to complete its life cycle by each Tick leads to loss of blood that results in retarded growth and lowered body weights. Its control is practised in a variety of ways.   The hosts’ treatment with acaricides to kill the attached larvae, nymphs and adults is most widely practised though with constraints, as reoccurrence of the parasites is common. In such a scenario, the new chemical compounds’ introduction becomes necessary due to quick development of resistance in the Tick population. This is one of the challenges for sustaining the farming system as the problem has to be controlled in a cost-effective and sustainable manner. The...

PM releases Next Instalment of Financial Benefits under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi 25th December, 2020, New Delhi The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today released the next instalment of financial benefits under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi through video conference. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister highlighted about the transaction Rs. 18,000 Crores directly in the bank accounts of more than 9 Crores farmers’ families in the country at the click of a button today. He added ever since this scheme started, more than Rs. 1 Lakh 10 Thousand Crores have reached the accounts of farmers. The Prime Minister said the Government worked at aiming to reduce the input cost of the farmers. He listed some farmer-centric initiatives of the Government like Soil Health Cards, Neem Coating of Urea, Schemes for distribution of Solar Pumps which helped in reducing the input cost for the farmers. He added the government tried to ensure that the farmers have a better crop insurance...