21-01-2024: Namami Gange, ICAR-CIFRI, CSIR, Ayush Diksha Center, Rising Temperatures Threaten U.S. Farm Income

21 January 2024

• ICAR-CIFRI Launches Third Phase of 'Namami Gange' River Ranching Programme

  Dr Himanshu Pathak, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR), inaugurated the third phase of the 'Namami Gange' River Ranching Programme at Seoraphuli Ghat. The initiative approved as a 'Flagship Programme' by the Union Government in June 2014 with a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore, aims to achieve the dual objectives of pollution abatement and the preservation of the Ganga's ecosystem.

• CSIR Aims To Boost Agriculture Productivity in South India Through Smart Technologies

  The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has initiated a mission to develop region-specific smart agro-technologies tailored for paddy cultivation in South India. This effort aims to not only improve soil health and crop productivity but also enhance the income of farmers. As part of this mission, advanced technologies like IoT-based sensors, drones, and Artificial Intelligence gadgets will be utilised to create a real-time precision database, paving the way for a future where automation plays a vital role in agriculture.

• Ayush Diksha Center Launched in Bhubaneswar to Boost Ayurvedic Healthcare & Training

  The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, laid the foundation stone for 'Ayush Diksha,' a center dedicated to the development of human resources for Ayush professionals on January 20, 2024. This facility will be established within the premises of the Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Bhubaneswar. Addressing the audience at the event, Minister Sarbananda Sonowal emphasised the development made by the Ayush movement in the last decade.

• Rising Temperatures Threaten U.S. Farm Income: Report

  A report on the consequences of climate change reveals the economic toll it is taking on American farmers. The study, a collaboration between the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, New York; the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), New York and Kansas State University, Manhattan delves into 39 years of data from nearly 7,000 Kansas farms, revealing that for every 1 degree Celsius of warming, major crop yields plummet by 16 percent to 20 percent. This results in a 7 percent decline in gross farm income and a staggering 66 percent drop in net farm income.