Category Archives: Green Initiatives & Environment

Mammootty’s ‘My Tree Challenge’ a Hit Abroad, Accepted by Australian Mayor

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, World Opinion

Kochi :

The ‘My Tree Challenge’ campaign, launched by actor Mammootty recently for planting trees, has crossed the oceans and reached other continents, with an Australian mayor accepting the challenge.

Stuart Slade, Mayor of the Glenorchy City Council, has planted a gumtree at the Tolosa park in the capital of Tasmania, an  island city in Australia.

The mayor, who named the tree ‘Gandhi’ as  an honour to Mahatma Gandhi, has also challenged the mayors of Melbourne, New York, Paris and London to plant trees.

Slade thanked Mammootty for the concept, while acknowledging it as a solace to the  planet that is fast becoming polluted. He also invited Mammootty to Tasmania, and urged him to pay respect to the Gandhi tree.

The Mayor, who is an enthusiast of India and the country’s development, came to know about the My Tree Challenge from Sajini Sumar, chairperson of the Multi-cultural Women’s Council of Tasmanaia.

The My Tree Challenge, a campaign involving planting of saplings and challenging others to do so, was launched by Mammootty on August 30 – inspired by the ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’. He had asked Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Tamil actors Vijay and Suriya to take up the challenge.

Mammootty had also planted a tamarind tree on the premises of Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / October 21st, 2014

Agriculture Department Plans Investors’ Meet in Doha

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Thiruvananthapuram :

NRKs planning to invest in agriculture back home now have a golden opportunity to do so and to understand how to go about it. The Agriculture Department is planning a two-day investors’ meet in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday and Friday to attract investment and to generate awareness  regarding the scope. The meet will also feature a ‘single window clearance’ mechanism for potential investments, Agriculture officials said. This is the first time that the Agriculture Department is organising a workshop outside the country, Agriculture Minister K P Mohanan said here on Tuesday.

“The meet is aimed at potential NRK investors in this sector. But it will also help to boost the possibilities of the meet which will be held in Kochi in November this year,” he said. The Global Agro Meet is to be held on November 6 and 7 and aims at showcasing Kerala’s own agro products. This list includes indigenous rice varieties, other produces such as Vazhakkulam Pineapple and spices like Malabar Pepper.

The November expo is also intended to acquaint farmers here with the latest trends and possibilities on offer in the international market. The meet also proposes to discuss ways and means to strengthen marketing and supply chain infrastructure for farm products in the state.The Biofach India 2014 trade fair also will be held alongside the Global Agro Meet.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / October 15th, 2014

When a lensman’s passion takes the driver’s seat

Amazing Feats, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature, Records, All, Travel, World Opinion

Motor vehicle inspector Shefiq B.'s photograph of a leopard at the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary won a prize at the State-level wildlife photography competition. Photo: K.K. Mustafah / The Hindu
Motor vehicle inspector Shefiq B.’s photograph of a leopard at the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary won a prize at the State-level wildlife photography competition. Photo: K.K. Mustafah / The Hindu

A motor vehicle inspector’s commitment to wildlife photography

: His passion for photography almost cost him his life a decade ago when he was chased around by a herd of wild elephants in Thekkady. And that night in 2003, he stayed atop a tree to escape the wrath of the pachyderms.

For someone who took pictures with trembling hands and landed himself in trouble out of his ignorance about positioning, Shefiq B. has come a long way to grab the victor’s prize at the State-level wildlife photography conducted by the forest department.

A motor vehicle inspector by profession, Mr. Shefiq will receive the award from Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Tuesday at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady.

Motor vehicle inspector Shefiq B.'s photograph of a leopard at the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary won a prize at the State-level wildlife photography competition. Photo: K.K. Mustafah / The Hindu
Motor vehicle inspector Shefiq B.’s photograph of a leopard at the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary won a prize at the State-level wildlife photography competition. Photo: K.K. Mustafah / The Hindu

The picture of a leopard lying on a rock at the Parambikulam wildlife sanctuary won him the prize.

“Initially, the animal was behind a rock and was not fully visible before it stepped on to the rock. From its stomach I could gauge that the animal had had its prey just then and would be resting there for a while,” he said.

Photography became his passion after he took a five-year break from his job as a vehicle inspector.

During this time, he took up a job in the Middle East which gave him the opportunity to travel to the wildlife sanctuaries of Kenya, a photographer’s delight.

So much was he consumed by the passion that he didn’t think twice before taking a loan for purchasing a professional worth Rs. 2.5 lakh.

Since rejoining duty at the Aluva Regional Transport Office last year, Shefiq puts in extra hours at work, so that he can go exploring nature in the company of his camera on weekends .

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by M.P. Praveen / Kochi – October 07th, 2014

Agri dept to train coconut farmers in Koz

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Kozhikode  :

Agriculture department in association with Nalikera Karshaka Samithi will be organizing classes on how to make coconut farming financially viable for farmers. Classes on Neera production and other topics will be discussed by agriculture experts.

Apart from coconut farmers, persons engaging in other works related to coconut farming, copra production will also be attending the classes. Coconut tree climbers, toddy tappers, and those engage in producing value added products from coconut are expected to benefit from the training class.

The focus of the training programme will be to make farmers and others aware of the government schemes for coconut farmers, said Kollamkandi Vijayan, president of Nalikera Karshaka Samithi. The need for the use of modern technology for improving cultivation will also be discussed, he added.

Those interested to attend the sessions can register their names by dialling 9048627810 or 9745148451 said, Mujeeb Komath district secretary of the Samithi. The programme will be held at Perambra on Monday, he added.

The focus of the training programme is to make farmers aware of the government schemes for them.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kozhikode / TNN / October 10th, 2014

State’s midget cows head for Punjab Badal’s farm

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

Kozhikode :

Next week four cows and two bulls – all dwarves, each averaging between 80 to 100 cm in height – will embark on a 3,000 km long cross-country journey from Kasaragod to Chandigarh in a cattle swap involving Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal.

The destination for the six animals belonging to two of the world’s smallest breeds – Vechur and Kasaragod Dwarf – in their 12-day trip is the official residence of the Punjab chief minister in Chandigarh where they will be reared in a farm.

The cows give 1-4 litres of milk per day which is valued for its high nutritional and medicinal properties.

In return, the Punjab chief minister has promised six Sahiwal breed of cattle indigenous to Punjab which will be sent back to the farm of Kasaragod Dwarf Conservation Society (KDCS) at Nagacheri farm near Neeleshwaram.

The stage for the high profile cattle exchange was set during the Indo- Pak interactive seminar on conservation of indigenous livestock breeds held at Punjab Bhavan in Chandigarh on July 10 which was attended by P K Lal, Director of Kasaragod Dwarf Conservation Society.

Following the presentation on Vechur and Kasaragod Dwarf varieties, Lal was invited to the official bungalow of the CM where Badal personally expressed his keenness to get two pairs of the indigenous breeds from Kerala.

“The chief minister is a keen cattle enthusiast and there are around 30 indigenous cattle breeds in his farm attached to the official residence. He had heard about the dwarf cattle varieties of Kerala and requested us if we could give him pairs of each breed which we agreed to,” Lal said.

Sahiwal cows from Punjab are known to produce over 25 litres of milk and are high-yielding even in dry conditions of Punjab where temperatures touch 45 degree Celsius. “We would like to find out how well they fare in Kerala conditions,” Lal said.

Lal said that efforts are on to get the Kasaragod Dwarf included as a native cattle breed by the National Bureau for Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) and hopes that formalities would be completed within one year.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / October 04th, 2014

Zero Cost Farming: Success Story Scripted by a 17-year-old

Agriculture, Green Initiatives & Environment, Inspiration/ Positive News and Features, Nature

Sooraj, winner of state govt’s Karshaka Jyothi Award, with the elephant foot yams grown in his farm | Express
Sooraj, winner of state govt’s Karshaka Jyothi Award, with the elephant foot yams grown in his farm | Express

Sulthan Bathery : 

At a time when many farmers in the state are abandoning agriculture owing to poor yield and low income, Sooraj C S, a Plus-Two student hailing from Mathamangalam, near here, is scripting a success story with his experiments in zero budget farming.

The 17-year-old, who recently won the Karshaka Jyothi Award for the best student farmer, instituted by the state government, is now busy promoting ‘healthy eating habits’ through his Facebook page by highlighting the harmful effects of pesticides. His farmland also serves as a knowledge hub for aspiring farmers.

“There is no need to glorify a person who grows vegetables or fruits for his own consumption. It says a lot about our society’s misconceptions about agriculture. Each individual can make a difference by developing the habit of cultivating and eating organic foods,” Sooraj says with an air of maturity unusual in one so young.

Inspired by Subhash Palekar, a promoter of the concept of zero budget natural farming, Sooraj started farming as a hobby at the age of 15, but it has now become a full-fledged passion for him.

“During the summer vacation two years ago, I attended a seminar on zero budget farming, held in Sulthan Bathery. Subhash Palekar was the main speaker at the programme. The event helped me shape a new perspective on farming techniques. Following that, I took a pledge not to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides,” says Sooraj, a Plus Two student of Government Vocational Higher Secondary School, Ambalavayal.

He cultivates a wide range of vegetables, including cabbage, bittergourd, eggplant, tomato, capsicum, beans, green chilli, different types of yams, bananas, carrot, beetroot, and potato on his pleasingly congested four acres of farmland on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. There are also about 50 varieties of fruits such as rambutan, passion fruit, mangosteen and orange, besides about 60 types of medicinal plants in his field.

Last year, when he had a bumper crop of cabbage, he gave a major chunk of the produce to friends and neighbours, and then sold the rest of the vegetables in the local market.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Aadharsh / September 27th, 2014

Honey festival gets under way in Thiruvananthapuram

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

A demonstration of honey extraction at the honey festival at VJT Hall in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar / The Hindu
A demonstration of honey extraction at the honey festival at VJT Hall in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. Photo: C. Ratheesh Kumar / The Hindu

Also on sale are honey products such as honey wax, soaps and facial creams, and many products with honey as their base.

Thiruvananthapuram is once again playing host to a honey festival that presents an impressive variety of honey and honey products.

The three-day festival, which got under way at VJT Hall on Tuesday, promises to provide the people of the city a rare opportunity to learn about the subtle differences between different honey varieties, their medicinal properties, and buy various honey products.

Organised by the Federation of Indigenous Apiculturists (FIA), the festival has stalls put up by apiculturists from across the State displaying hives of stingless bees, Newton bees, honey extractors, and other honey production equipment.

From sunflower honey to Coorg honey and forest honey and stingless bee honey, the types of honey on display are remarkable for their sweetness and the way they throw light on a mostly unseen facet of rural entrepreneurship in Kerala.

Also on sale are honey products such as honey wax, soaps and facial creams, and many products with honey as their base.

Students of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) have put up a stall that sells honey drink and honey laddus.

Over the coming two days, experts from the KAU, State Horticulture Mission, Horticorp, Agriculture Department, and the Kerala State Biodiversity Board, who are also the co-organisers of the festival, will conduct training sessions for beginners in apiculture.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / A Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram – September 17th, 2014

Now, actor markets organic produce

Agriculture, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Kochi :

When buyers and sellers from several countries converge here in November for ‘BioFach India together with India Organic 2014’, a niche trade fair on organic products in India, to scout for organic products, actor Sreenivasan will have something to offer. The harvest from 40-acre paddy fields near his house in Kandand near Tripunithura will be up for grabs.

Sreenivasan says the move is not to make profits. Rather, it is an attempt to promote agriculture and marketing. “I started paddy cultivation not for profit. The land that we took on lease has been lying barren for the last two decades. If we run it profitably, the original owners of the land may return to agriculture,” he said.

As of now, many have abandoned agriculture as they cannot profit from it. “Marketing is a major headache for farmers. The organizers of ‘BioFach India together with India Organic 2014’ have offered to help us in marketing paddy from our field,” said Sreenivsan.

“Major buyers of organic products from countries such as Germany will be attending the fair. They are interested in the promoting organic farming in Kerala. They seem to be attracted by the lush and fertile land of Kerala,” he said.

But Sreenivsan aired concerns on huge rates charged for organic products in the state. “Gandhagasala, a major brand of organic rice produced in the state, is priced at Rs 400 per kg. Such high prices drive buyers away. Middlemen are profiting by selling products under the cover of organic products,” he said.

The organizers have also plans to make Sreenivasan the brand ambassador of the organic movement in Kerala. The actor said the discussions were at a preliminary stage.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Kochi / TNN / September 14th, 2014

Sree Padmanabha to be offered banana bunches

Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature

Thiruvananthapuram  :

For the first time, Onam special banana bunches will be offered to the presiding deity at the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple on the Uthradam day on Saturday. Following that on Thiruvonam on Sunday, Onavillu offering will be held. Additional security arrangements are in place for the Onam festivity at the temple.

“On the Uthradam day, banana bunches will be offered to the Lord by the temple staff and by the devotees. It will be followed by the customary ritual of ‘Onavillu Charthal’ held every year on the Thiruvonam day,” temple administrative committee chairperson and additional judge KP Indira said.

The banana bunch offering will be held from 8am to 11am on Saturday for which the devotees are expected to get a ticket worth Rs 20. It is left the devotees to decide on the number of bunches that they wish to offer, said temple executive officer KN Satheesh.

On Sunday, ‘Onavillu charthal’, the dedication ceremony of offering the ceremonial bows to the deity, will be held symbolising the birthday of Lord Mahavishnu. Onavillu will be brought in through the South gate of the temple. The Nambi priest will offer it to Sree Padmanabhaswamy.

“Security arrangements at the temple will be fool-proof with bollards and blockers to regulate the vehicular traffic. An additional posse of 200 security force personnel will be deployed around the temple precincts for six days till September 11,” city police commissioner H Venkatesh told TOI.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / September 06th, 2014

At 60, ‘Kerala Karshakan’ continues to sow inspiration

Agriculture, Arts,Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives & Environment, Nature, Records, All

The April-June 1955 cover of the agriculture magazine, Kerala Karshakan. — PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The April-June 1955 cover of the agriculture magazine, Kerala Karshakan. — PHOTO: BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Kerala Karshakan also has the distinction of being the second oldest farm magazine in India

Kerala Karshakan, a constant companion to and a commentator on Kerala agriculture, is 60.

This is a memorable year for those in the State still “romancing” farming, the magazine’s first full-time editor R. Hali has said in his introductory remarks in the diamond jubilee edition.

Kerala Karshakan also has the distinction of being the second oldest farm magazine in India, the oldest being Indian Farming published by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said Mr. Hali.

The monthly is now a sine qua non for farmers across Kerala, who have taken its paid circulation to about 1.25 lakh a month. Kadakkarappally panchayat in Alappuzha district is an example of the magazine’s popularity. Its editors were surprised to find in 2012 that the panchayat, with about 3,500 farming families, had a subscription base of over 3,000. Kerala Karshakan, more than anything else, had made agricultural schemes, programmes and their implementation more transparent, said an agricultural officer. he magazine has its strongest subscriber bases in Kannur, Kozhikode and Thrissur, said an official.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kochi / by Special Correspondent / Kochi – September 09th, 2014