10-October-2022: White Rust Disease, BioPrime Agrisolutions, MGNREGA, Online Portal for Handicraft Artisans

10 October 2022

• Amul to Merge with 5 Other Cooperatives to Form MSCS: Amit Shah

  According to Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, Amul will be merged with five other cooperative societies to form a multi-state cooperative society (MSCS). Shah stated during the 70th plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) that the merger process has already begun. The session was presided over by G. Kishan Reddy, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Tourism and Culture, and B.L. Verma, Minister for DoNER & Co-operation, and members of the NEC, which included the Governors and Chief Ministers of the eight North-Eastern states, as well as other members. 

• White Rust Disease in Mustard and How to Manage It

  Rabi crops are sown from October to December and harvested from April to June. Some of the important rabi crops include wheat, barley, peas, and mustard. Mustard is an important cash crop for farmers in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, etc and although its production is good in India mustard farmers face a lot of problems due to diseases that reduce their yield.

• BioPrime Agrisolutions Raises Rs 9 Crore in a Pre-Series A Round Led by Inflexor Ventures

  The current round of funding also saw participation from its existing investor, Omnivore. Inflexor has invested in 10 companies so far since November 2020, from its Fund II, companies including Atomberg, GramCover, and Kale Logistics. The company aims to utilize the funds for their SNIPR Biologicals registrations, advancing the discovery platform, building a strong IP portfolio, increasing production capabilities, and expanding.

• MGNREGA Workers to Collect Crop Residue Says Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal

  Dhaliwal appealed to the farmers not to burn stubble in the fields, saying that harmful practices not only cause pollution but also decreased the health of the soil. The state government is making every effort to stop the burning of crop residue and farmers should extend a helping hand. He said that by allowing the crop residue to decompose, the soil's fertility would increase and farmers would use fewer chemical fertilizers. According to him, the government has plans to use MGNREGA workers to help farmers in managing residue.

• Govt Launches Online Portal for Handicraft Artisans to Participate in Marketing Events

  The Development Commissioner's Office (Handicrafts) has begun the process of inviting applications to participate in marketing events via an online portal. This provides handicraft artisans with a fully digitised marketing platform. Around 200 domestic marketing events are held each year in various parts of the country to assist artisans in selling their wares.