15-May-2023: Raghavji Patel Raghavji Patel, Loan Waiver Drive for Farmers, Tunisia’s Agri Ministry, IMD Issues Heatwave Advisory, Seed Farm in Assam, Cyclone Mocha

15 May 2023

• Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel Raghavji Patel Welcomes 198 Indian Fishermen Released From Pak Jail

  Pakistan has freed as many as 198 Indian fishermen, 184 of them from Gujarat, five from Maharashtra, four from the UT of Diu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two from Uttar Pradesh, published an English news portal. The initial group of 198 fishermen, who were freed from a Pakistani jail last Thursday, arrived at Gujarat's Vadodara railway station early Monday i.e. May 15. According to an English news portal, State Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel and other local leaders from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were present to receive them.

• MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan Announces Loan Waiver Drive for Farmers Ahead of Assembly Elections

  Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched a campaign on Monday, May 15, 2023, supporting farmers in the state.  An outstanding amount of loan interest against them will be waved off ahead of state elections later this year. The Chief Minister Farmers' Interest Waiver Scheme-2023 initiative will commence from Kerbana village in Sagar district, where the chief minister will start receiving applications from farmers who have defaulted on loans.

• Tunisia’s Agri Ministry Launches New Support Mechanism to Boost Ag Sector & Food Security

  The European Union (EU) and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICD) have set up a new support mechanism for Tunisia's agricultural sector, aimed at helping small producers overcome increasing production costs and adapt to climate change. The partnership between the EU, AICD, and the World Food Programme is a testament to the importance of international cooperation in achieving these goals. The mechanism, launched under the "Support for Sustainable Development in the Agricultural and Artisanal Fisheries Sector in Tunisia" (ADAPT) programme, includes a cereals component support fund worth €18 million.

• IMD Issues Heatwave Advisory for Tamil Nadu: Temperatures to Hit 42°C

  Officials of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai have stated that the maximum temperature is likely to increase gradually by 2-4 degrees Celsius over the next five days. They have also warned that isolated pockets in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry may experience temperatures above normal by 2-3 degrees Celsius, causing discomfort to vulnerable individuals.

• APC Dr. Ashish Kr. Bhutani Inspects Seed Farm in Assam's Golaghat District

  The State Agriculture department led by Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner, Dr. Ashish Kr. Bhutani, visited the Fallangani Seed Farm in the Golaghat district. The team, which included senior officers from the State Agriculture department, assessed the current status of the farm and discussed plans to make Assam self-sufficient in seed production. During the visit, Dr. Bhutani highlighted the importance of quality seed in increasing agricultural production. He emphasized that the Assam Seed Corporation Ltd. (ASCL) had a crucial role to play in producing quality seeds of various crops to be supplied to farmers in the state under various departmental schemes.

• Cyclone Mocha Wreaks Havoc on B’desh-Myanmar Coasts, Flooding Cities & Refugee Camps

  On May 14, the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Mocha' hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar, bringing with it heavy rains and high-velocity winds with a speed of 195 kmph. The storm made landfall near Lat 20.5N and Lon 92.9E, about 40 km north of Sittwe (Myanmar) and 145 km southeast of Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh), as a category five storm. The storm surges whipped up by the cyclone inundated the Myanmar port city of Sittwe, the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine state. Streets were turned into rivers as winds of up to 130 miles per hour ripped away tin roofs and brought down a communications tower.