Horticulture Expert The Growth Driver Of Indian Agriculture Sector

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The horticulture sector, with a wide array of crops ranging from fruits and vegetables to orchids and nuts, mushrooms and honey – has been a driving force in the stimulating a healthy growth trend in Indian agriculture. India is currently producing 257.2 million tonnes of horticulture produce from an area of 23 million ha. What is significant is that over the last decade, the area under horticulture grew by about 3.8%per annum but production rose by 7.4% per annum. Given the increasing pressure on land, the focus of growth strategy is on raising productivity by supporting high density plantations, protected cultivation, micro irrigation, quality planting material, rejuvenation of senile orchards and focus on post harvest management to ensure that farmers do not lose their produce in transit from farm gate to the consumers plate.

Fruits:

With a production of 76.4 million tonnes, fruits accounts for about 30 per cent of the total production of horticulture crops. The area under fruit crops during 2011-12 was 6.6 million ha, which is almost 29 per cent of area under horticulture in India. The area under fruit crops has increased from 4.0 million ha in 201-02 to 6.7 million ha in 2011-12 with corresponding increase in production from 43.0 to 76.4 million tonnes. A large variety of fruits are grown in India. Of these, banana, mango, citrus, papaya, guava, grape, sapota, pomegranate, pineapple, aonla, litchi, pear, plum, walnut, etc are important. India accounts for 13 percent of the total world production of fruits and leads the world in the production of mango, banana, papaya, sapota, pomegranate, acid lime and aonla.

The leading fruit growing states are Maharashtra which accounts for 16.0 per cent of production followed by Andhra Pradesh (13.0%), Gujarat (10.0%), Karnataka (9.0%), Uttar Pradesh (8.0%), Tamil Nadu (7.0%) and Bihar (5.0%) altogether contributes for about 68.0 percent of the total fruit production in the country. Banana is the major fruit accounting for 35 per cent of total production followed by mango (4.0%), citrus (11.0%), papaya (6.0%), others (17.7%) in the country. It may also be mentioned that in the Himalayan states of Himachal and J&K the GDP from apples, plums, pears and stone fruits exceeds that of GDP from cereal crops.

Vegetables:

Vegetables are also an important constituent in horticulture sector which are mostly low gestation and high income generating crops. Many vegetables are now grown under protected cultivation like green houses and shade nut houses with a scope for off season production, which fetches remunerative prices.
Vegetables occupied an area of 8.9 million ha during 2011-12 with a total production of 155.9 million tonnes having average productivity of 17.4 tonnes/ha.

Vegetable production registered a quantum jump of 77 per cent between 2001-02 and 2011-12.

More than 40 kinds of vegetables belonging to different groups are grown in India in tropical, sub tropical and temperate regions. Important vegetable crops grown in the country are potato, tomato, onion, brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower, peas, okra, chilies, beans, melons, etc. The leading vegetables growing states are West Bengal which accounts for 15% of production followed by Uttar Pradesh (12%), Bihar (10.0%), Andhra Pradesh (8.0%), Madhya Pradesh (6.5%), Gujarat (6.4%), Tamil Nadu (5.8%), Maharashtra (5.7%), Karnataka (5.0%) and Haryana (3.0%) altogether contributes about 83.4% of the total vegetable production in the country. Among vegetables, potato is the major vegetable accounting for 27.0% followed by tomato (12%), onion (11.0%), brinjal (8.0%), cabbage (5.4%), cauliflower (4.7%), okra (4.0%), peas (2.5%) and others (25.4%) in the country. India is the second largest producer of vegetables after China and is a leader in production of vegetables like peas and okra. Besides, India occupies the second position in production of brinjal, cabbage, cauliflower and onion and third in potato and tomato in the world. Vegetables such as potato, tomato, okra and cucurbits are produced abundantly in the country.

Spices:

India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices and spice products in the world. Over 100 plant species are known to yield spices and spice products among which around 50 are grown in India. India is known as the home of spices producing a wide variety of spices like black pepper, chilies, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cardamom and variety of tree and seed spices. Major spice producing states are Andhra Pradesh (19.0%), Gujarat (15.0%), Rajasthan (14.7%), Karnataka (8.0%), Madhya Pradesh (7.7%) and Tamil Nadu (7.0%). The spice production in India is currently estimated at 5.95 million tonnes from an area of about 3.21milion ha.

The production of spices in the country has registered a substantial increase over the last ten years with average annual growth of 5.8%. Chili is the major spice crop occupying about 25% of area under cultivation and contributing 22% of total spice production in the country. Garlic accounts for 8.0% of area with 21.0% share in production, while turmeric accounts for 6.8% of area with 19.6% share in production.

Flowers:

India has made noticeable advance in the production of flowers, particularly cut flowers, which have a good potential for exports. During 2011-12, floriculture covered an area of 0.32 million ha with a production of 2.6 million tonnes of loose flowers and 75066 million numbers of cut flowers. This sector is generating higher income and employment opportunities especially for women.

While India has been known for growing traditional flowers such as jasmine, marigold, chrysanthemum, tuberose and aster, the commercial cultivation of cut flowers like roses, orchids, gladiolus, carnation, gerbera, anthurium and lilium has become popular in recent times. The important flower growing states are West Bengal, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, North East, etc. Major area is devoted to production of marigold, jasmine, roses, chrysanthemum, tuberose, etc. The area under cut flowers having stems has increased manifold. Orchids, anthurium, lilium, gerbera and seasonal bulbous flowers are increasingly being grown both for domestic and export markets.
Growth in Exports:

Not only have these impressive production figures ensured a steady supply for the domestic market, they have also made Indian horticulture exports globally competitive. Over the last decade, there has been a significant improvement in export earnings in horticulture.
The horticulture division is working closely with APEDA and state governments to ensure that infrastructure and institutional support for export is available to ensure that farmers can leverage export markets for higher incomes.

Organic Food Vs. Non-organic Food A New Age Argument

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Just a few years ago, there were a limited number of categories for food: there was food according to taste (sweet, sour, salty, bitter) and there was food according to what it is made of (meat, fruit, vegetable, fish). In recent years, however, a new category was introduced, that is, food according to how it is made. With this, the term organic foods comes into the picture.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic foods are those foods that are made or grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, growth hormones or any form of biotechnology. They are those foods that grow at a natural pace, are plucked when ripe and are taken as is. In contrast, non-organic foods are those that are grown for commercial consumption and are hence aided by pesticides, artificial fertilizers, growth hormones and biotechnology to grow faster, become plumper and appear more appetizing. In line with this new distinction among foods, a new age argument has (literally) been placed on the table: which is better, organic food vs. non-organic food?

Powerful arguments support each side. For those who believe that organic food is better than non-organic food, they adhere to the belief that all the pesticides, artificial fertilizers and chemical enhancers that go into non-organic foods are the reason behind many human ailments and diseases. While this belief can be backed up by some research, this research is still not conclusive and hence cannot yet be considered as fact. In addition, those who are supporters of organic food also pride themselves in the fact that creating organic foods is far less expensive and friendlier to the environment. For those who do not believe in buying organic food, they stress on the points of organic food being far more expensive to purchase and much harder to keep because of the lack of preservatives. They bank on previous studies linking organic foods to no more health benefits than non-organic foods and they also point to the fact that organic foods are not necessarily 100% free of artificial additives as the USDA still permits the use of some chemicals in growing them.

Because research on the topic has not yet completely been verified, the difference between organic and non-organic foods rests primarily in ones preference; at least for now. What scientists and most doctors are urging people to do is, rather than focusing on how healthy organic foods might be compared to non-organic foods, they should take a closer look at their daily diets and determine the health of their lifestyles from there. It is said that it happens all too often these days that people obsess over organic foods and yet have diets loaded with artificial flavouring, trans fats and processed sugars, i.e. junk. Before joining in on the argument of organic foods vs. non-organic foods, one must first make the necessary changes in ones diet in order to be able to call oneself truly healthy and health-conscious. As for organic foods vs. non-organic foods, let that be the next step.

Over a Billion Tons of Food Wasted Annually

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A new study says one-point-three billion tons of food are wasted or lost every year, causing significant harm to both the environment and the economy. The food losses occur as an estimated 870 million people go hungry every day.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says it has released the first study to analyze the impacts of global food wastage from an environmental perspective.

The report differentiates between food loss and food waste. Food loss is due to such things as poor harvesting, inadequate storage and transportation. Its more of a supply side issue. Food waste, meanwhile, comes on the demand-side during processing, distribution and consumption.

FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said, Every day, consumers, especially in the rich countries, waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa. The implication of this massive food waste for food security and sustainability is huge. If we reduce food loss and waste, we have more food available without the need to produce more and putting less pressure on natural resources.

The report Food Wastage Footprint: Impacts on Natural Resources says the amount of food that is produced, but not eaten, guzzles up a volume of water equivalent to the annual flow of Russias Volga River. That unconsumed food, it says, is also responsible for three-point-three billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Developing countries suffer more food losses during agriculture production. But in high income regions, food waste at the retail and consumer level tends to be higher. Up to 40 percent of total wastage compared with only four to 16 percent in low income regions, he said.

Graziano da Silva added theres also the economic cost.

The food wastage means $750 billion every year. This impressive figure is the equivalent of the GDP of Switzerland.

Joining in the release of the new report is Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP, the U.N. Environment Program. He called the $750 billion figure an extraordinary wake-up call for those thinking about food security and agriculture.

In that figure we may not even capture many of the more indirect impacts that are associated with degradation of natural resources. The impacts on climate change. The drivers that will cost perhaps not todays consumers of food, but tomorrows children and grandchildren, who have to run our economies and mange these impacts in ways that are economically not yet fully captured, said Steiner.

He emphasized the losses and waste do not only occur on land.

We again have phenomena where in many fishing fleets sometimes 20, 30, 50percent of the catch is thrown back into the sea. But it is not as if fish will happily continue to swim. Many of them will be dead and essentially no longer available either for consumption or indeed for maintaining the fish stocks of the world. So, we are really trying to address a phenomenon here today that concerns each and every one of us on the planet, he said.

He said the types of food being raised to meet the demands of growing economies are having a greater impact on the environment. More countries are adopting a Western style diet thats high in meat consumption. Livestock produce a lot of greenhouse gasses.

Our initiative with thinkeatsave.org is to reach out to literally citizens across all countries, all continents, in all sectors, to become part of addressing this phenomenon of wastage that simply is unnecessary, unacceptable and unsustainable in the 21st Century. We are all able to address this issue by becoming part of the solution, said Steiner.

Recommendations to reduce food loss and waste include raising awareness about the problems through media campaigns coordinating international initiatives and strategies and investing in public and private projects that reduce loss along the food chain from field to market to consumer.

Safety Measures For Sulfuric Acid Accidents

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One day I was given the task to make a report on a certain chemical called H2SO4. I was totally dumbfounded as I had no idea what it is and what I should research about it. In fact, I did not even have an idea how to buy sulfuric acid since I do not use it in my everyday life. Or so I thought.

For starters, I tried to find what this H2SO4 really is. Well, a simple researching in the internet told me that the chemical is commonly known as sulfuric acid. And, as my research grew more intensive, I found out a lot about the acid that made me realize its benefits to some industries.

It is actually used in some industries that help produce some of the basic necessities that we use in our everyday lives. For one, the chemical is used in agriculture to produce fertilizers that can be used in crop production. An example of these fertilizers is phosphate fertilizers. The chemical is also an important ingredient in making detergents and other household cleaning products. It is also used in other industries that make steel, industrial explosives, iron, lead acid batteries and dyes.

However, amidst all of these uses, sulphuric acid is feared for its hazardous effects. At first I also felt worried because of the fact that it is widely produced. However, I found out that the chemical can only become dangerous if proper precautions are not met in its handling, storage and disposal. Yet, sometimes, accidents do happen. So what should be done in case such emergencies occur? To ease my apprehensions, I decided to include in my research the measures that can be done when emergencies involving sulfuric acid occur.

The chemical has three entry points in the body: the eyes, the skin and the respiratory system. Depending on which entry point is affected, the safety mechanisms also vary.

If the chemical gets to the eyes, the patient should flush the eyes with water right away. This should be done continuously within thirty minutes, alternately lifting the lower eyelid and the upper eyelid. Then, after this is done, one should go to a medical professional for the necessary medications.

If the chemical gets in contact with the skin, the most appropriate thing to do would be to immediately take off the clothing that also came into contact with H2SO4. Make sure that while removing the piece of clothing, the patient does not affect other areas to avoid more damage. Then, wash the affected area with mild soap and water continuously for twenty minutes. Afterwards, get medical attention for further treatment.

If the chemical gets inside the body through the respiratory system, get the patient out of the place where he or she has inhaled the acid. Make the patient stay in a place where there is plenty of fresh air. If the patient has stopped breathing, give the patient rescue breathing. A CPR would also be needed if the patient’s heart stops beating. In giving these first aid measures, make sure that you know what you are doing to avoid further complications. If you are successful with your first aid measures, bring the patient to the medical clinic or hospital where he or she could be given professional care. Once the chemical affects the respiratory system, there is possibility for pulmonary edema. However, the symptoms usually become evident hours later. That is why the patient should be monitored for forty-eight hours.

Such measures mentioned above will only be necessary if there have been lapses during the use of sulphuric acid. This should be avoided at all times in order to prevent accidents that may cause the lives of a lot of people.

Overall, H2S04 is a very useful chemical. This I found out in my short encounter with sulfuric acid. However, because of some people’s carelessness in handling the product, it becomes highly dangerous. Let us not make our faults become the reason why the acid becomes notorious than it already is.

What Is A Vacuum Forming Machine

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Traditionally used in heavy industries to design prototypes and produce thousands of models, vacuum forming machine and molds have become increasingly popular with individuals wanting to produce their own works.

Identification:According to Formech International, a producer of vacuum forming machine, molds can range from simple carved wooden pieces to complicated aluminum forms that can be used to create items such as car dashboards or airline cockpit controls. Materials:Plaster and wood molds are used for low temperature plastics requiring few parts, while jobs requiring higher temperature plastics and industrial production numbers use aluminum based resins or aluminum molds. Realistically, Plastic materials are easy to manufacture and create with few costs. Most plastic products are created by using special molds, which the take the liquid plastic and construct it into the desired shape. One mold is used multiple times, making the process predictable and easy. Plastic are easier to fabricate than metal components and require less energy and time for the process. Workers don’t have to be as skilled as metal workers, which makes it possible to use workers with little experience.

almost anything can be used as a mold so long as it can withstand the temperatures of the plastic being used, according to Professor Ted Selker of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (see Resources). In the years following the war, Regina’s competitors out-performed them, and Regina experienced dwindling profits. They attempted to broaden their sales base by adding other cleaning products to their repertoire. When that failed to increase profits, an investment group purchased majority interest in Regina.

Process:The process for using a vacuum forming mold is fairly simple. The mold is put in place on the machine first, on an apparatus that can be raised or lowered. A thermoplastic sheet is inserted into the machine and then heated. The mold is raised from below into the hot plastic, and the plastic molds around it. The vacuum then draws all of the air out of the plastic and sets it to the mold’s shape. After setting, air is pumped back in to separate the mold from the plastic. The investment group introduced the Regina Steamer, and the Regina Housekeeper and profits improved. Unfortunately, the investment group experienced management problems, and sold their rights to Regina. In 2000, the Royal Corporation purchased the rights to Regina, but sell the vacuums using the Home Depot brand name.

Types:There are two types of molds used by vacuum forming machine: male (positive) and female (negative). Male form molds project upward toward the plastic sheet, while female forms molds project downward. The top surface of the mold is what comes into contact with the plastic and is therefore better finished, and that is the determinant for using a male or female mold. Benefits:vacuum forming machine can be used in many industries. They are used by companies in the fields of aeronautics, agriculture, automotive, construction, computers, design, electronics, and many more. They are versatile and easy to produce.