Agriculture - Current Affairs for October, 2017

In what could be a landmark innovation, scientists at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishvavidyalaya (IGKV) have developed yarn of linen cloth from flax plant - a first in India. So far, Indian linen fabric manufacturers have had to import yarn due to its unavailability in India. Aiming to increase the yield of linseed, which is another name for flax seed, IGKV scientists carried research and used the stem of linseed plant to develop the linen yarn. The development of this yarn under the research project is expected to boost the handloom. The university will continue to pitch in the research to farmers so that it not only fetches them additional income but bring about reformative changes in the textile industry. Linseed Innovation: Know More

• In Chhattisgarh, linseed is cultivated in the tribal-dominated districts of Kanker, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Kawardha and Mungali across an area of 3,000 hectare.
• Apart from the flax seeds fetching INR 6,000 per quintal, the additional use of the stem for linen production would help farmers as well.
• The extracted yarn can also be used to make paper, decorative and handicraft items, which would boost Chhattisgarh's handloom and handicraft industry.

Even as milk production becomes a key contributor to agricultural income in India, an investigation has found that a fourth of India’s dairies had no shelter for animals and half of these institutions housed sick and injured animals. The findings were part of an assessment of conditions in 450 dairies, spanning 10 of the country’s top milk-producing States and involved assessing the health and living conditions of about 25,000 cattle. Nearly 55% of dairy owners allowed their sick animals to be milked. To increase milk production, hormone Oxytocin was being wantonly administered, even though it is a restricted drug that can only be given after advise from a registered medical practitioner. Delhi had the "worst" cattle management problem in the country. None of the dairies had a male calf of more than two months of age and were flourishing in "illegal establishments". There was also minimal veterinary care and indiscriminate use of Oxytocin here. The investigation was carried out in Punjab, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Tamil Nadu. The National Capital Territory of Delhi was picked because of its strategic significance. In Uttar Pradesh - India’s largest milk producer with over 20 million tonnes of production - 92% of dairies didn’t have a visiting veterinarian and 48% of them used sick animals for milking.