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| AGRICULTURE TRIBUNE | Monday, August 6, 2001, Chandigarh, India |
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Constraints in fish production and marketing Asia’s useful trees and plants Cereal output may fall short of
demand Global Mirror |
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Constraints in fish production and marketing FISH is one of the nature’s best nutritional gifts. In our country where per capita intake of meat and milk is comparatively low, fish assumes an important place as protein supplement because it contains on an average 15 to 25 per cent of proteins. So, fish is one of the best proteins sources available to the human body in quality and quantity. Fish is also a valuable source of vitamin A and B, iodine and oils containing poly-saturated fatty acids, which help check the cholesterol level of the blood. Therefore, fish is a good food for all ages. Besides this, the foreign exchange from the export of fish and fish products have increased from Rs 5 crore in 1960-61 to Rs 9,501 crore in 1995-96. The contribution of fishery to the net domestic product has increased from Rs 1,479 crore to Rs 9,286 crore in 1994-95 over 1984-85 at the current prices showing about six-and-a-half time increase in a decade. About 5.04 lakh farmers had been trained in improved practices up to 1995-96, through active support provided under the Fish Farmers Development Agencies (Economic Survey of India, 1999), which shows that fish farming is gaining popularity among farmers. Fish farming being an alternative enterprise, the farmers of Punjab have not lagged in the adoption of pisciculture where the area under fish farming increased from 237 to 3874 ha in 1996-97 over 1965-66 (Statistical Abstracts of Punjab, 1997). In spite of this the various interest groups are facing certain constraints in the production and marketing of fish. The present study was initiated in order to identify the constraints being faced by the fisheries in the state. In order to accomplish the objectives of the study two districts, Gurdaspur, which lies below the state average stocked area represented the less developed category, and Amritsar lies above the state average stocked area represents the developed category, were selected randomly. A complete enumeration of the fish producers was done and was categorised into three categories on the basis of stocked area by using “cube-root frequency method”. In order to study the constraints faced by the various intermediaries a suitable sample was also drawn. The required information was collected on well-structured schedule from the selected respondents by personal interview method. Constraints in fish production It was observed that 39 per cent of the selected fish farmers were facing the problem of theft and poaching. High price and ready market attract the poachers easily. Generally fish has a great resistance to diseases, but a heavy stocking density, over-manuring, non-maintenance of clean environment, accumulation of an organic matter at the bottom of the pond cause many hazards to the health of the fish. These hazards include retarded growth, injuries, diseases and parasitic infections that adversely affect the production. This problem was reported by 18 per cent of the selected farmers. During the course of fish culture operations a few insect and pest are encountered which sometimes cause heavy mortality to the young stock. These insect and pests include aquatic insects, predatory and weed fishes, frogs, etc which reduce the fish production to a large extent. This problem was reported by 28 per cent of the fish farmers in the study area. One of the major problems in fish ponds was found to be the control of excessive growth of aquatic weeds. Though, the presence of some plants to a limited extent is desirable, yet their excessive growth affects the fish productivity per unit of the area stocked. This problem was encountered by nearly 18 per cent of the selected fish farmers. Being an outdoor enterprise it is prone to damages by animals like snakes, tortoises and flooding during the rainy season. This problem was faced by 25 per cent of the sample fish farmers. The above discussion clearly exhibits that fish farming is affected on various accounts, which ultimately affects the production levels. Constraints in the disposal of fish: The problems in the disposal of fish were highlighted by the sample farmers as well as the middlemen involved in the fish trade. About 5.31 per cent of the sample farmers and 4.54 per cent of the selected intermediaries faced the problem of delayed payments in the study area. The time lag between the delivery of fish and payment was reported to be sometimes more than two months. Moreover, the delay in the payments was not compensated for the delayed period. Another problem that 3.57 per cent of the producers and 13.64 per cent of middlemen faced was lower price for their produce. Fish being a highly perishable commodity, the producers and per-harvest contractors are forced to sell the produce at lower prices due to lack of steady marketing outlets. It was noticed that melting of ice during summer poses a serious problem due to the lack of insulated or thermostat vans. The results show that 9.09 per cent of the market intermediaries who transport the produce from the producing areas to the consuming centres in the country reported this problem. The problem of losses during the handling was reported by 18.18 per cent of the selected middlemen. The lack of an efficient storage, packing and transportation facilities, quickness in the decomposition of the produce resulting into increased losses. Due to lack of the cold storage facility, the intermediaries are forced to dispose of produce as early as possible they can, otherwise decaying of the fish starts. This, in turn, affects the price of fish adversely. This problem was faced by 50 per cent of the selected intermediaries in the sample markets. The fish marketing was not controlled by any government agency/institution, hence plagued by many malpractices such as lower prices in the case of increased volumes/market arrivals. Under such circumstances the consumer plays an important role in determining the prices to their advantages. This type of situation was faced by more than 21 per cent of the producers. It was also noticed that the major hindrance in the sale of fish was its peculiar odour. This also affected the demand in the local markets. The discussion clearly exhibits that lack of the cold storage facility and clientale were the major problems being faced by fish farmers and the intermediaries in the study area. Under such circumstances it seems that much more is needed to be done to make this enterprise commercially viable. |
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Asia’s useful trees and plants AKHROT or the walnut is a large deciduous tree. It is quite common in hilly region from around 500 metres above mean sea level upwards to nearly 3000 m. The species comes up naturally in clayey loam soil with a lot of moisture. It is most happy in shady depressions and banks of streams in hilly terrain, especially the Himalayas. This tree generally grows naturally in good abundance between 1500 to 3000 m above mean sea level in shady depressions along with other broad-leaved associates like poplar, horse chestnut, alums natida, alumus walliciana, etc. The better drained drier spurs in the same zone in between the shady depressions generally have nearly gregarious to pure stands of pines, deodar and firs. Rural folks practising agriculture and horticulture in the hills cultivate it on the bunds of their holdings and also in vacant space around dwellings in inhabited areas. Altitude wise the tree descends right up to 500 m mean sea level in case of artificial propagation. The natural habitat of walnut starts from upper Myanmar and extends right up to Afghanistan. Best stands of luxuriantly growing walnut can, however, be seen above Marwa village along either bank of the Marwa river, a tributary of the Chenab, about 100 km upstream Kishtwar, subdivisional headquarters in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Walnut has dense foliage with pleasant aromatic scent. It is a fairly fast growing tree and attains a size of about 1.5 m girth and 15 to 20 m height in nearly 50 years. The scientific name of walnut is Juglans regia. It family is Juglandaceae. It generally tends to develop a short but straight bole when coming up on rich soil and favourable climate. The bark of walnut is light grey in colour and has typical vertical fissures. It generally tends to develop a beautiful hemispherical crown. Walnut leaves are compound imperipinnate. Each leaf has around eight to 12 leaflets. A leaflet in turn is about 7 to 20 cm long and 5 to 10 cm wide. these are generally entire, elliptic, oblong and glabrescent. The flowers of walnut are quite fragrant. These are arranged in terminal trichotomous panicles and greenish white in colour. These appear during March-April. The walnut fruit, a nut, is called akhrot in the vernacular language. It is one of the important dry fruits of trade. The fruit appears in May-June and matures by autumn. The fruit of the wild variety of the tree called katha-akhrot is very hard. Extracting edible kernel (giri) out of it is very difficult. Horticulturist scientists have, therefore, developed a kaghzi or thin-shelled variety of walnut, the nut of which is easy to crack and the giri comes out wholly and easily. The katha-akhrot as also the thin-shelled variety contains a kind of fatty oil which tastes like cream. The natives of the Marwa valley in J&K, where tonnes to wild akhrot nut virtually liters the forest floor during autumn, pulverise the hard woody nuts, boil the powders so obtained in hot water to extract the fatty oil therein. They use it as a cooking medium in place of ghee. Akhrot wood is close-gained, not so hard and yet durable. It weights nearly 18 to 20 kg per cubic foot. It is quite easy to work and plane. It is most coveted for making rifle and gun butts. It is also used in fabrication of quality furniture and decorative wooden items like cabinets, cigarette cases, dash boards of expensive cars, radio cabinets, etc. These days the going market rate of walnut timber, which is difficult to get, it is nearly Rs 1500 per cubic foot. The walnut tree is useful in many other ways too. Its foliage serves as fodder for cattle, especially during grass famine. The bark forms a good datoon as well as medicinal herb for teeth and gums. The hill women also apply the bark to colour their lips like a lipstick. Its fruit constitutes one of the important nutrient dry fruits of trade called khushak meva. People roast the kernel with a sprinkling of salt for a delicacy for serving at important gatherings and prestigious get-togethers. The nuts and the bark of walnut have several applications in ayurveda, unani and Chinese systems of medication. It contains vitamins A, B and C, and is good for recouping patients. The nut is equally rich in proteins and carbohydrates. It contains traces of calcium, potassium, sodium, etc. too. Hakims recommend the walnut kernel for treating cough, cold, piles, etc. It is also recommended for building memory power and as an aphrodiac too. excessive consumption of the kernel can, however, cause diarrhoea. Walnut seedlings grow naturally under mother trees from the seeds falling thereunder. Its seedlings can and are also raised in nurseries, commonly for propagating the species artificially. The seedlings are generally transplanted in the field when two years old. Keeping in view the numerous utilities of the walnut tree, it is highly desirable that landholders should plant and propagate this multi-utility tree in large numbers in all vacant nooks and corners to improve economy as well as environment of the country. With a view to enriching the environment the forest departments of various North-Indian states provide walnut seedling to interested landowners at a highly subsidised rates. The horticulture departments too provide improved thin-shelled varieties of akhrot plants. |
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Cereal output may fall short of
demand WORLD cereal production will increase less than expected this year. According to forecasts of the FAO, the total production will be insufficient to meet world needs. Heavy drains on food supply, were compounded by the humanitarian emergency in Europe after the mass exodus of refugees from Kosovo which would lead to calls for continued international aid on a large scale. The total production in 1998 was 1877 billion tonnes, while it was down to 1850 billion tonnes in 1999 and it was 1862 billion tonnes in 2000. Global food consumption of cereals was forecast to expand by 1.7 per cent, maintaining last year’s level of 162 kg per head. The FAO raised its forecast for world cereals trade by 1.6 per cent to 206 million tonnes. The international wheat market remained characterised by sluggish global import demand and large inventories which caused prices to weaken further during the coming months. World wheat output was 580 million tonnes, down by 3 per cent from 1998 and coarse grains were at 890 million tonnes, down around 2 per cent. But the rice output was seen increasing marginally to 380 million tonnes from 375 million tonnes in 1998. International rice price remained under downward pressure from large exportable supplies and relatively limited import demand. The organisation said a serious food supply problems persisted in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The report highlighted eastern Africa where the number of people in need of food assistance has increased due to poor cereal harvests caused by dry weather and due to civil strife in several parts. It has been said the decline in Asia output largely was the result of drought related to the EI Nino phenomenon which depressed planting and yields. |
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Global Mirror A new salt-proof tomato plant that could make fertile vast areas of poor quality land has been created by scientists in the USA. The genetically modified tomato is the world’s first crop that is tolerant of salt. Developed at the University of California, the fruit should not taste any different to standard tomatoes whether in your salad, your sandwich or your pasta sauce, say researchers. The US and Canadian scientists who created the plant reported their findings to the journal Nature Biotechnology and hope that modifying other crops in the same way will transform poor quality, salty areas into productive land. An estimated 10 million hectares worldwide is lost to agriculture each year because the land has become too salty, especially farmland in Africa and the developing world. Modern irrigation methods often leave large salt deposits in the soil which can render farming impossible. Over time, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride build up and upset the ability of crops to draw water through their roots. When salt concentrations in soil run too high, the crop dehydrates and dies. The new salt-proof tomato counteracts this by isolating salt from the soil, transporting it to its leaves and holding it there - trapped in compartments within its cells called vacuoles — away from the fruit. More importantly, the new strain of plant “cleans” the soil by removing its salt. And because the salt is stored in the leaves, it does not taste salty. The scientists manipulated a naturally occurring “transport protein” in the tomato into carrying salt around the plant. This was achieved by inserting a gene from the laboratory plant, thale cress. The GM tomato can grow and produce fruit in irrigation water that is 50 times saltier than normal. Eduardo Blumwald from the University of California at Davis, who led the research, said: “Because environmental stress due to salinity is one of the most serious factors limiting the productivity of crops, this innovation will have significant implications for agriculture worldwide.” His team suggested that the tomato could help against food shortages; it is estimated that over the next 30 years food production needs to rise by 20 per cent in the west, and 60 per cent in the developing world to feed the expanding population. Professor Blumwald hoped it would be possible to produce commercially useful salt-proof tomato plants in three years. Michael Stocking of the University of East Anglia, England, a specialist in small farm agricultural development in the tropics, said that salinity was one of the biggest problems for farming in the developing world, but it would not be solved by a single technological fix. Prof Stocking said: “On small farm holdings run cooperatively, salinity is often a question of poor crop maintenance and poor economics. This tomato plant might be a short-term palliative measure, but it would not work unless the major economic issues were tackled.’’ Guardian News Service |
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FARM OPERATIONS FOR AUGUST PADDY: — Deficiency of zinc can be expected on kallar reclaimed soils or on those fields where zinc has not been applied to the previous crop. The same can be corrected by applying 25 kg of zinc sulphate per acre mixed with equal quantity of dry soil. — Iron deficiency can be expected on sandy soils. The deficient plants show yellowing on younger leaves which ultimately turn white. To correct this malady, 1 per cent ferrous sulphate solution (one kg ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water) per acre may be sprayed 3 to 4 times at weekly intervals. Do not apply ferrous sulphate to soil. —In early transplanted crops, drying of leaves due to bacterial leaf blight disease may be noticed. Spray with any chemical will not be helpful to control this disease. Do not pond water in the field. Addition of nitrogen will further increase the disease. — Sheath blight may be noticed by the last week of August. The disease can be checked by spraying Bavistin 50 WP @ 200 g in 200 litres of water at the boot stage. Keep the bunds clean by removing grass. Rice stem borer: The larvae born into the stems of young plants and produce dead hearts. When the borer attacks old plant of paddy, then empty and erect white ears make their appearance. The fields showing more than 5 per cent dead hearts should be sprayed with 250 ml of Dimecron/Cilodon/Phamidon/Phosdon/Bilcron/Kinadon 85 SL or 560 ml of Nuvacron/Monocil of 36 SL or one litre of Coroban/Dursban/Lethal/Durmet/Classic 20 EC in 100 litres of water per acre. These insecticides may be repeated as and when damage reaches the economic threshold level. The pest can also be controlled by using 7.5 kg Sevidol 4:4 g (carbaryl-gamma BHC) per acre thrice in standing water. Leaf folder: The larvae of this insect fold the leaves, eat out the green tissues and produce white streaks. Control this pest by spraying 250 ml of Folithion/sumithion/Accothion 50 EC or 150 ml of Lebaycid 1000 EC or one litre of coroban/Durmet 20 EC or 560 ml of Nuvacron/Monocil 36 SL in100 litres of water per acre. Application of Padan 4 G or Caldan 4 G @ 10 kg/acre recommended for control system borer in basmati rice also control leaf folder. Leaf hopper and plant hoppers: Can be controlled by spraying the crop with 40 ml Confidor 200 SL or 250 ml of Lebaycid 1000 EC (Fenthion) or 800 ml of Exalux/Thiodan/Endocel 35 EC/Nuvacron 36 SL in 100 litres of water. MAIZE: — Apply the last dose of nitrogen through 35 kg of urea per acre to the early-sown hybrid maize or high-yielding varieties of maize at the appearance of tassels. Apply 25 kg of urea per acre to the local maize/Pearl Popcorn/Parkash/JH-3459. — To control leaf blight, spray the crop with Indofil M 45 @ 200 g in 100 litres of water. —The attack of maize borer can be checked by spraying 40 ml of Sumicidin 20 EC/Ripcord 10EC or 80 ml of Decs 2.8 EC (Deltamethrin) or 100 ml thiodan 35 EC or 110 ml Nuvacron 36 SL in 50 litres of water per acre. — Progressive Farming |
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