Current Affairs - Agriculture

The Fourth National Chilika Birds Festival took place in Odisha, inaugurated by CM Naveen Patnaik. Celebrated against the scenic backdrop of Chilika Lake, the event featured a captivating 'Photo Exhibition' highlighting the diverse avian life of Chilika, making it a grand celebration for birders and enthusiasts across India.

Dr Himanshu Pathak inaugurated the 3-day Kisan Mela in Anand, Gujarat, organized by ICAR-DMAPR, focusing on promoting medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) cultivation. The event witnessed the participation of more than 2000 farmers, including a significant number of women farmers, and the signing of two MoUs with M/s Vasu Research Centre and Healthcare, Vadodara.

The MoU aims to propel India to the forefront of AI-driven digital agriculture, emphasizing the collaboration between the National Farmers’ Welfare Programme Implementation Society, IndiaAI (Digital India Corporation), and the Wadhwani Foundation in formulating and executing a robust AI strategy.

India is on track to become the leading global producer of lentils in the 2023-24 crop years due to expanded cultivation. Known as 'Dal' after processing, lentils are a valuable human food source. Major lentil cultivation states in India include Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, showcasing the country's significant contribution to global lentil production.

The saffron fields of Kashmir, renowned for producing the world's costliest spice, are in crisis due to the encroachment of cement factories, leading to a significant decline in cultivation in the last 20 years.