Protectingbiodiversitywithr igour

A PRIORITY: “Keeping biodiversity and nature protection at the centre ofclimateactionandgrowthstrategyisapressingrequirement.”PictureshowsatigerintheWesternGhats.Photo:KalyanVarma

Toprotectbiodiversity,IndiamusttakeharddecisionsandsetthresholdsforenvironmentalregulationandpollutionThe PrimeMinister recently reorganised his National Council onClimate Change and called on an indigenous answer, yoga, toalter consciousness and tackle climate change. The Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests (MoEF) is currently working on theNational Democratic Alliance’s position on climate change, withtwo major United Nations Framework Convention on ClimateChangemeetings coming up.While some say that these recentdevelopmentshave rightly raised theprofileof climate change inthenewgovernment,othersbelieve that Indianeeds todomore,particularly in the face of a new U.S.-China agreement onmitigating climate change.Voluntary action on climate change inIndia has centered around economic decisions, such as cutting

down on carbon intensity and increasing renewable sources ofenergy.Butwhatislackinginthediscourseisanunderstandingofkeeping the natural natural, or conserving biodiversity. Twoimportanteventshave takenplace in thepast fewmonths in thecountry,whicharetiedtoclimatechangeandthepressingissueofhowwedealwithit.First,theConventiononBiologicalDiversity,aConventionundertheUnitedNationswhichseekstoregulateouruseofthenaturalworld,hasreachedimportantfundingdecisions.Second,ahigh-levelcommitteesetuptoproposeamendmentsinenvironmentallawsinIndiahassubmitteditsrecommendationstothe MoEF. Both developments set the tone for changing thecharacterofgrowth.Biodiversityandcl imatechangeBiodiversityandwildlifeprotectionisoftentermedasa‘co-benefit’ofmitigatingclimatechange.Otherco-benefits,usuallyunderstoodassecondarytoeconomicdecision-making,arecleanair,potablewater, ecosystem services and a stable microclimate.Conservationistshaveargued thatbiodiversityhasbecomea lowsecond fiddle toclimatechange in internationalnegotiations,anddecisionsrelatedtobiodiversityarenotyetpartofthe‘mainstream’decisions related to growth, trade and carbon emissions. At thejust-concluded conference of parties of the Convention onBiological Diversity held in Pyeongchang, Korea, many stressedthat biodiversity targets cannot just be ‘stand alone’ targets. “Inorder to move the biodiversity agenda forward, approaches andtactics must evolve. In the framework of the post-2015developmentagenda,standalonetargetsonbiodiversitywouldnotbeuseful.Theprincipleofuniversalityandintegrationmustdefinethenatureofsustainabledevelopmentgoals,”saidAchimSteiner,ExecutiveDirectoroftheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme,urgingthattheworldcouldnot“continuetobeamerelibrarianofextinction, threat and destruction.” At the meeting, an importantcommitment for resource mobilisation was made. Parties haveagreed to double biodiversity-related financial flow to developingcountries, small island developing states, least developedcountries,andeconomiesintransition.Thefundingisforaverageannualbiodiversity funding for theyears2006-2010,and is tobe

deliveredbynextyear.ThewaythisfundingisutilisedwhenapartofitcomestoIndianeedstobeseenasmorethanjustsideeffortstoclimatechangeaction.For instance,climatechangeaction in India iscurrently focussedon a lowering of carbon intensity in growth. But we are alsoseekingtopeakemissionsbyacertainperiod,allowinggrowthtooptimiseby then,and thenallowa taperingoffofemissions.Butthiscarbonspacecanalsobeconsistentlyatoddswithbiodiversityprotectionefforts.Forexample,theconceptof‘peaking’emissionsholds no value for biodiversity, and may actively threaten it. Ahabitatoncedestroyedtakesdecadestoberestoredaswesetupman-made infrastructure. So the question is: are we going todismantlenaturalinfrastructureandthenrestoreit?Iftheanswerisno, then thiswillmean takingharddecisions, suchas identifyingcritical, inviolate areas in forests which cannot be mined ordammed,andsetting thresholds forenvironmental regulationandpollution.Onthetopicofregulation,acrucialreviewiscurrentlyunderway.Ahigh-level committee chaired by formerCabinetSecretary T.S.R.Subramanian has reviewed all the environmental laws of Indiaincluding the Wildlife Protection Act, the Forest Act, the ForestConservation Act, and the Environment Protection Act. Whiledecisions related directly to biodiversity, such as species andhabitat protection, are under the ambit of review, there are alsoindirect connections which bridge decisions for both climatechange action and biodiversity protection. One of the mostpressing questions is that of regulation. What will be revisedthresholdsforairandwaterpollution?Thegovernmenthasmademoves to lift themoratorium forprojects (and thusallowingmoreemissions) in critically polluted areas, such as Vapi in Gujarat.Furtherchangesintheseregulationswillsetthetoneforlevelsofindustrial effluents in seas, rivers, and the sky, and how muchclusteringofinfrastructureandprojectscanbeallowedinanarea.The second question is one of environmental and forestclearances for projects. In public statements, including the onemade when Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar acceptedthe environmental act review, the government says it wants the

environmental clearance process made “speedier” and “moretransparent.”Thissentiment isechoedinStatestoo:for instance,Himachal Pradesh has a committee on ‘Speedy development ofsmallhydroprojects.’Decision-makingonenvironmentshouldnotbeaquestionoftime;ratheritshouldbeoneofrigour.Whiledeveloperswanttobelievethat problems in environmental decision-making lie in time spentaroundgettingaclearance,theissuereally isoneoftechnocraticdiscretion.TheMoEFneedstohavetheforthrightdiscretiontosay‘no’toprojectswithdeleteriousimpactsonbiodiversityandclimateaction.While it isaMinistrymeant toappraiseprojectsandclearthem, it isalsoone that ismeant tohaltprojectswhichdenigratebiodiversityandenvironmentalconservationefforts.ChangingconsciousnessThe final question then is: in our development efforts, and inclimate changemitigation and adaptation efforts, what rigourwillthe Indian government put in for capturing our hard-won climatequota, while simultaneously guarding a healthy environment?While conventional sources of energy will stay for a while,environmental regulation and post-project monitoring have to bestrengthened and upheld because the country is a constituencywider than just developers who clamour for hasty clearances.Further, in creating a different scenario — that is new forms ofenergy and low carbon development pathways such as biogas,solarandmarine,windmillenergyandenergyefficiency—thereisarealchancefornewjobcreation.Finally,keepingbiodiversityandnatureprotectionatthecentreofclimate action, and thus our growth strategy, is a pressingrequirement.TheWorldBankestimatesthatIndialosesmorethan5percentof itsGDPeachyear toenvironmentaldegradation.Arobustandgrowingbiodiversityprotectedareaframeworkwillsavemoney spent on pollution-related illnesses and buoy climatechangemitigationwork.Onyogaanditsroleincombatingclimatechange,PrimeMinisterNarendraModi said, “It is not about exercise but to discover thesense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. Bychangingour lifestyleandcreating consciousness, it canhelpus

deal with climate change.” This change in consciousness and‘onenesswithnature’hastoberethoughtnow,atthecuspofournewclimateandbiodiversityactionstrategies.Wecannotdevelopnowtoaskquestionslater.Centre’s nod awaited for individual cropinsuranceschemeThe Tamil Nadu government awaits the Centre’s instructions forimplementinganindividualcropinsuranceschemeonapilotbasis.ThishasbeencommunicatedbytheDirectorofAgriculturetotheformerMLA,M.Appavu,whomovedtheMadrasHighCourtforadirective to the government to introduce an individual cropinsurancescheme.CourtdirectiveDisposingofthepetition,theHighCourtaskedthegovernmenttoexamine his representation and give a reply. Accordingly, theDirector of Agriculture, in a letter, agreed that there were inbuiltdeficiencies in the Centre’s weather-based crop insurancescheme, modified national agricultural insurance scheme andcoconutpalminsurancescheme.Hence, the State decided to implement an individual cropinsuranceschemeonapilotbasisduring2012-13aftergettingtheCentre’s approval. The implementation of the crop insurancescheme involvedmany agencies. Also, theCentre should obtainclearance from the Insurance Research and DevelopmentAuthority before giving its consent. Several reminders were alsosenttotheCentre.OfficialsoftheAgriculturalInsuranceCompanyofIndiawouldvisittheStatethismonth.TheindividualcropinsuranceschemewouldbeimplementedaftertheCentregrantedadministrativeclearance,thelettersaid.Centre should get clearance from the InsuranceResearch and Development Authority before giving itsconsent

Averagerainfal l markreachedinTuticorinMorerainsexpectedbeforemonsoonwithdrawalTheaverageannualrainfallmarkof662mmhasbeenreachedinTuticorindistrict.CollectorM.Ravikumar said here onMonday that early onset ofnortheast monsoon and bountiful rains had contributed to thisachievementandmorerainswereexpectedbeforethewithdrawalof monsoon. Of the 134 tanks maintained by the Public WorksDepartment in the Tamiraparani, Korampallam and Vaippardivisions, 71 had reached full capacity. The level in seven othertankshadreachedabove75percentofthecapacity.Among53systemirrigationtanks,thelevelwasuptothebrimin50 and the remaining tanks would reach full capacity soon, hesaid.Of the fourmain channels under Tamiraparani irrigation system,water was being released from only one channel to tanks inSadayaneri and Puthantharuvai. Check-dam construction workacrossTamiraparani river inMukkanihadgainedmomentumandtheprojectwouldbecompletedsoon,theCollectorsaid.Joint Director of Agriculture N.K. Dhakshinamoorthy said therecent rains had proved to be much beneficial for farmers,especiallythoseraisingcropsonrain-fedlands.V.GanapathiRaman,a farmer fromMasarpatti,saidblackgram,green gram, cotton and maize had been sown in Pudur,VilathikulamandKovilpattiblocks.Thistime,maizecrophadbeenraisedonlandswith irrigationfacilityaswellasrain-fedlands,hesaid.D.Jawahar,HeadandProfessorofAgriculturalResearchStation,Kovilpatti, said most of the crops had reached the vegetativephase of cultivation. Dr. Jawahar said first weeding of rain-fedcrops suchas cotton, sorghum,millets, greengram, blackgram,maizeandchilliesandfertilizertopdressinghadbeencarriedout.Since farm implements could not be taken up on wet clay soil,manyfarmershadstartedhandweeding,hesaid.Of the 134 tanks maintained by the PWD, 71 havereachedful l capacity

Ragiflakes,anyone?

MilletpowerRagiinanewavatarPhoto:Specialarrangement

ThenutritiousmilletisnowavailableascerealtoappealtocityfolksIfragidosai,roti,puttu,andkanjiarenotyourtype,howdoesragiflakessound?Orraginuggetsfilledwithchocolateandvanilla?Anagro foods company has come up with a range of breakfastoptions made using the nutritious millet. Launched at the M.S.SwaminathanFoundation,itincludesbanana-flavouredragiflakesandfillsthatarecrunchyontheoutsidewithadollopofchocolate,vanilla,andstrawberrycreamontheinside.Speaking at the launch, genetic scientist M.S. Swaminathanexplained how India was once home to about 1, 50,000 ricevarieties, 10,000 years ago. “Men went hunting and womencollected plants and grew them,” he said. “This is the origin ofagriculture.” As years went by, the ‘food basket shrunk’. Themarket gradually went down for pulses other than major cropssuchasrice,wheat,andsoybeansleadingtothe‘geneticerosionofarangeofnutritionalfood,’hesaid.However,Swaminathansaidthattheminormillets,hecalled“nutri-cereals,”were important elements in the foodbasket, given their“climate-smart” nature and nutritional value. Only if there was a

market for them, can the nutri-cereals such as samai, thinai,kezhvaragu,amongothers,berevived. “Foodandhealthsecuritygo together,” he observed. Swaminathan added that it’s for thispurposethat “wearepressing theUNtodeclareoneyearas theyearofnutri-crops.”But it’s not just the millets, our traditional rice varieties aredisappearing too. In Koraput, Odisha, for instance, rice varietieshavecomedownovertheyearsfrom3,500to300.“Thesecropswillhaveasoundfutureonly ifweassurefarmersremuneration,”saidSwaminathan.The consumer playsan important role in this— it could make all the difference to the farmer if consumerscreateamarketformilletsbyincludingthemintheireverydaydiet.Which is why “putting them in a form of contemporary value” isessential,feelsSwaminathan.Theragiflakes,forinstance,wereanattemptatthis,accordingtoPrashantParameswaran,theManagingDirectorofKottaramAgroFoodsthatmanufacturesthecereal.Heexplainedhowthedietaryfibre-rich millet was much more nutritious than rice and wheat.However,bringingour traditionalgrainsback to the fore is “notaone-man-show”, he explained. People and companies shouldcomeforwardtodotheirbit.

Ragifacts · - Ragi is a r ich source of calcium, iron, and aminoacids - It helps keep sugar, and blood cholesterol levels incheck - Since ragi is gluten and fat-free, i t ’s good for babiesandpeoplelookingtoloseweight

Mangoexportsmaybear ‘capital ’ shock

The HinduA felled mango tree in an orchard near Nuzvid in Krishna district.Photo:Ch.VijayaBhaskarThe rumoursonsettingup theStatecapital inNuzvidduring themango season a few months ago may have a telling effect onmangoexportsfromAndhraPradesh,withmanyfarmersdisposingoftheirorchardstorealtorsoflate.The State exports horticultural products worth around Rs.40,000crore every year in which mango has a bulk share. But, in thecomingyearmangoproductionmaycomedownasmanyfarmershavesoldawaytheirlands.Thoughtheexportfiguresthisyearsuggestagoodtrend,officialsfeel the selling of orchardsmay have a deleterious effect on theexportsinthecomingyears.AccordingtoDeputyDirector(Horticulture)B.SuryaSubbarayudu,around 6,000 metric tonnes of mangoes are being exported todifferentcountries fromKrishnadistricteveryyear.Mangoexporthasincreasedby5percentinthelastfewyears.“Banginapalliisthe most sought after variety. Farmers are raising Venisha(Banginapalli) in 1.2 lakh acres in Nuzvid, Agiripalli, Nunna,Reddygudem, Vissannapet, Mylavaram, Tiruvur and othermandalsinKrishnadistrict,”saidMr.Subbarayudu.

However,manyfarmershavedisposedofftheirmangoorchardsinNunna,Nuzvid,VijayawadaRuralandotherareastorealtorsafterbeingofferedaroundRs.2croreandaboveperacreinthelastfewmonths.Many industrialistshavealsocreated ‘landbanks’ in theregion,expectingarealtyboom.“MangogardensadjoiningthemainroadweresoldatRs.3croreperacreandseveralfarmerssoldsomethousandsofacres.Later,capital locationhaschangedtoGunturdistrict.Thisyear,therealestate activity will certainly affect the mango exports,” says Ch.VenkataRao,amangofarmer.Mangoesareexported toSingapore,Japan,USA,SriLankaandothercountries,apartfrombeingsenttoMaharashtra,Karnataka,TamilNaduandotherneighbouringStates.Scientists of Mango Research Station, Dr. Y.S.R. HorticulturalUniversity,Nuzvid,saythatmangoisbeingraisedinabout4lakhhectaresintheStateandtheproductionisgoodinKrishnadistrict.

Indian Society of Soil Sciences celebrates 79{+t}{+h}anniversaryThe four-day, 79{+t}{+h}anniversary celebrations of the IndianSociety of Soil Sciences that kicked off at the ProfessorJayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University here onMondaywasmarkedbyfelicitationto92-year-oldveteranJasvanthSingh Kanwar, a scientist of eminence who spent 40 years inHyderabad because of his work with the International CropResearchInstitutefortheSemi-AridTropics(ICRISAT).Addressingthegatheringcomprisingabout500soilscientistsfromacross the country, Vice-Chancellor of the Acharya NG RangaAgricultural University, Alluri Padmaraju said soil was theequivalent of gold and it was imperative that scientists strive topreserve fertility of soil.Amongothers presentwerePresident ofthesociety,R.K.RatanandSecretaryD.R.Biswas,apartfromtheHyderabadchapterPresident,P.P.Rao

BumperpaddyyieldexpectedinKrishnaPositive projection based on lack of impact of CycloneHudhud

Paddy production in Krishna district in the 2014 kharif season islikelytogoabove14lakhmetrictonnes.Thisismainlyduetolackof any impact of cycloneHudhud on the crop in Krishna district.Paddyoutputinkharif2014,accordingtopreliminaryestimatesofagriculture officials, will be the highest this season since 2010kharif.Harvesting of paddy crop has just been completed in barely fiveper cent of the total sowing area of above 2.52 lakh hectares inKrishnadistrict.However,cropcuttingwhichbeganaweekagois

expected to be complete bymid-December. The harvesting wasdelayedbytwoweeksduetodelayinsowingoperations.“Paddy fields witnessed no damage post-Hudhud cyclone. Theoutputwhichwillbeanywherebetween25and30bagsperacreisa bumper yield,” Agriculture Department Joint Director V.Narasimhulu toldTheHindu. In 2013 kharif, duringwhich paddyfields were severely damaged due to repeated cyclones Helen,PhailinandLehar, the totalpaddyproductionwasnearly11 lakhmetrictonnes.Availability of agriculture workers remains the prime hurdle forearlycompletionofharvestinginthedistrict.Themigrantworkerswho aremostly engaged in North Andhra andGodavari districtsare likely to join agricultural operations in Krishna and itsneighbouring districts by mid-December, owing to huge demandandworkthere.Harvestingofstandingpaddycropisyettobegininmajorityoftheareas in eastern Krishna including Diviseema region,Machilipatnam.It is also learnt that many big farmers are planning to go in forharvestingmachinestomeetthelabourshortage.

Over200farmersselectedunderKrishiBhagyaOver 200 farmers from four dry taluks — Mysuru, Nanjangud,T.Narsipur and K.R. Nagar — in Mysuru district have beenselectedtoreceivebenefitsundertheKrishiBhagyascheme.As many as 4,955 farmers had applied, out of which 200 wereshortlistedtogetbenefitsfor2014–15.After scrutinising the applications and conducting field visits toascertain that the applicant had aminimumof one acre in a dryarea, the department selected the beneficiaries through lotterysystem. A reservation of 30 per cent was maintained for thosebelongingtoSCandSTcommunities.The listwill soonbeputbefore thedistrict-levelcommittee for itsapprovalandonceapproved,selectedfarmerswillbeaskedtosetupdifferentfacilitiesintheirfieldtoget80percentreimbursement

fromthegovernmentincaseofgeneralcategoryand90percentforSC/ST.Facil i t iesrequiredThe five infrastructure facilities that farmers have to compulsorilybuild in their fields under the scheme are – in-situ moistureconservation, farm pond, diesel pump set, sprinkler or dripirrigationandcroppingpattern, includinganyoneof the followingthree — agriculture, horticulture and sericulture. Setting up ofAnimal Husbandry is optional for farmers. M. Mahanteshappa,Joint Director of Agriculture, said farmers planning to constructpoly-housesintheirfieldstogrowhorticulturalcropswillget50percentsubsidy.

KVASUpreparestotacklebirdf luthreat:TheKeralaVeterinaryandAnimalSciencesUniversity(KVASU)will soon launch measures to tackle the avian influenza threatreported from various parts of the State. The Directorates ofEntrepreneurshipandAcademicsandResearchof theuniversity,in association with the Department of Poultry Science, PublicHealthandCentreforOneHealth,willassociatewiththediseasecontrol team of the Animal Husbandry and Health Department,universitysourcessaid.MinisterforAgricultureK.P.Mohananwillleadthedisease-controlandcontainmentteam.Officials of KVASU, including B. Sunil, Professor and Head,DepartmentofVeterinaryPublicHealth,andT.P.Sethumadhavan,Director of Entrepreneurship, will attend a high-level discussionconvenedbytheChiefMinisteronTuesday.AwarenessprogrammesThe KVASU will launch awareness programmes forrepresentatives of three-tier local administrative bodies,veterinarians,para-veterinariansandduck farmers in theaffectedareas. Knowledge dissemination processwill be executed at thegrassrootslevel.A team of veterinary experts are closely monitoring the diseasemanagementstrategiesonbehalfofKVASU,sourcesadded.

WorkshoponorganicfarmingA one-day workshop on organic farming – its prospects,possibilities and problems — will be held at Kerala SahityaAkademiHallonNovember27.The workshop, jointly organised by the Kerala AgriculturalUniversity and the State HorticultureMission with the support ofCentre forStudiesonTechnologySociety InterfaceandPolicy inAgriculture is meant to assess the impact of organic farmingactivitiesundertakenintheKasaragoddistrictandchalkoutactionplanstoextendthesuccessfulpracticestootherpartsoftheState.Named ‘Lessons fromOrganicKasaragod’, theeventwillpresentanoverviewoftheimplementationoforganicpolicy inKasaragoddistrict, soil and plant relations in organic agriculture, and plantprotection techniques in Kasaragod. According to KAU sources,theevent isbeingorganised to facilitateananalysisofactions tobetakentoconvertKeralaintoanorganicState.Introducingaready-to-instal l biogasplant

IttakesonlythreehourstosetupthecompactmodelThedevelopmentofacompactandready-to-usemodelofbiogasplant,whichcanbeinstalledinthreehours,willeasetheprocessofputtingbio-degradablewastetogooduse.ThemodelcaughttheattentionofvisitorsattherecentKrishiMelaof the University of Agricultural Sciences–Bangalore, and itsadvantageisthatitisportableandcomesinvariouscapacities.DevelopedbySintexIndustriesandvalidatedbyIIT–NewDelhi,amodel with two cubic-metre capacity can yield one kilogram ofcooking gas a day and requires a space of only 6x6 feet, asagainsttheconventionaldomemodelthatrequiresbrickworkandtakesup12x18feet,accordingtoexperts.Kumara Goud, principal investigator, Biogas Development andTrainingCentre,UAS–B,notesthatsettingupoftheconventionaldome-typebiogasplant requiresabout15days.Pointingout thatskilledmasonsarerequiredtobuildthedome,hesaysthere isapossibilityofleakageifworkisnotdonebyskilledworkers.Similarly,themetaldrummodeltakes30daysforinstallationandrequiresregularmaintenancetopreventcorrosion,hesaid.Dr.Goudfeltthattheready-to-installmodelwillboosttoeffortsbyexperts and policymakers to turn waste into wealth owing to itsconvenientfeatures.The ready-to-usemodel has a spider springmechanism to helpmaintain constant gas pressure which will ensure availability ofqualityflame.The ready-to-usemodelwitha capacityof twocubic-metrecostsRs.36,000asagainstthemetaldrummodelofRs.40,000andtheconventionalmodelofRs.30,000,theexpertsnoted.According to Dr. Goud, themodel with two cubic-metre capacityrequires15kgofwasteaday.It is also possible to opt for power generation if the plant is of alargercapacity,sourcessaid.

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Sleep-deprivedschoolchildrenrunobesityrisk

Childrenofmotherswhoworkfulltimemaynotbegettingtheamountofsleeptheyneedeachnight,placingthemathigherrisk of being overweight or obese within a year, findsresearch."We lookedatnight-timesleep inparticular,becausestudiesshowthattheamountofnighttimesleepmattersforregulatingweight,"saidco-authorJanetLiechty,aprofessorofmedicineandofsocialworkatUniversityofIllinois."We think that it might be the more hours that mothers areworking,thelesstimetheyhave,andtheremaybesomesortoftradeoffgoingon, 'DoIspendqualitytimewithmychildordo we get to bed early?'" explained lead author KatherineSpeirs,apostdoctoralresearchassociate."Andtheninthemorning,whenmothersleaveforwork,theirchildrenalsowakeupearlytogettodaycare,"Speirsadded.Theresearchersfollowed247mother-childpairsforoneyear.

The children,who ranged from three to five years old, wereweighed, measured and had their body mass index (BMI)calculatedattheoutsetofthestudyandagainoneyearlater.At thesecondweigh-in,17percentof thepreschoolerswereoverweightand12percentwereobese,accordingtoBMI-for-agegrowthcharts.Childrenwhosemothersworked full time got fewer hours ofsleep thanpeerswhosemothersworked less than20 hoursperweek.The children of womenwhoworked full time also tended tohavehigherBMIsatthesecondweigh-in.ThestudyappearedonlineinthejournalSleepMedicine.HealthybreakfastideasYou have heard all about the importance of a healthybreakfast. But between trying not to burn your clothes withrecordbreakingironingspeed,andrunningforthe8amlocal,you hardly get time to eat something healthy for breakfast.Relax. Here are some quick and easy ideas for a healthybreakfast.The healthy Indian breakfast: Idlis, sambhar, tea and fruit.Thingsyouwillneed:1.Idlibatter(pickitfromyourfriendlyneighbourhoodgrocerystore)2.Daal3.Vegetableslikepotatoes,carrots,beansetc.4.Sambharpowder5.Asafoetida6.Redchillies7.Curryleaves8.Turmericandsalttotaste.

Method:For the idlis:Simplyput thebatter into themouldsof the idlicooker,steamfor10minutesandthey'reready.Youcanbuyanidlisteamerforsteamingidlisoveraflameorsimplygoinfor amicrowave idli dish. Themicrowave idli dish is, easily,oneofthebesttimesaversinIndiankitchens.Fort the sambhar:Cook the dal and vegetable separately inwater and for the tadka addmustard seeds, asafoetida, redchillies,sambharpowder,curryleavesandturmeric.Finishwithafruit likechikuorbananaandgiveyourselfyourdaily dose of caffeine with a hot cup of tea or coffee, andyou'regoodtogo!Nutritional benefits: Idlis provide you with the right kind ofcarbs and are non-fattening. The lentils are loaded withnutrients and proteins that'll energise you for the day'sactivities. Chikus and bananas are rich in antioxidants andkeepyou full for longer.Youcanalternatebetween idlisanddosasandgrindsomechutneyiftimepermits,forvariation.Thebreakfastquickie:Cereal,nuts,fruitandteaThingsyouwillneed:1.Anykindofcereal2.Acupofmilk3. Handful of dry fruits like dates, walnuts, almonds andraisins

Thisisprobablythequickestbreakfastever.Heapinacoupleofspoonsofyour favouritecereal,pour inacupofmilk,addthe dry fruits and and soup's up! A breakfast of cereal withnuts, fruits and milk gives you the needed carbs, protein,essential fattyoilsandcalciumall inonego.Topitupwithafruitandagrabacupofjavaonthego!The Continental breakfast: Toast, eggs, fruits and coffeeThingsyouneed:1.2Eggs2.Seasoning(pepper,chillipowderetc)3.Salttotaste.4.2slicesofbrownbread5.ApapayaorapomegranateMethod:Poach,scrambleorsimplyboiltwoeggwhites(includingoneegg yolk for daily breakfasts is permitted). Spread a littlebutterorcheeseonthebrownbreadslicesandincludeafruitlike papaya or pomegranate on the side. Wash everythingdownwithteaorcoffee.Nutritional benefits: Eggs contain nutrients like phosphorusandmagnesium.Consumingtheyolkisnotabadideaeitheras it contains good cholesterol, which your body needs. Butdon'toverdoit.Breadgivesyouthecarbsyourbodyneedsforenergy.Papaya is rich in antioxidants and a good source ofvitaminE.Pomegranate isalsoa richsourceofantioxidantsand a good source of phosphorus. Read more PersonalHealth,Diet&Fitnessstoriesonwww.healthmeup.com

HealthysoupsforwinterWith winter whetting your appetite, food usually becomesthecentreofattention.When the ambient temperature drops, the body generatesheatbyincreasingitsbasalmetabolicrateinordertokeepupthe body temperature. There are two ways in which thismetabolic feat is achieved - by increasing the breakdown ofthebody'sstored fat,andbyproviding thebodymore fuel toburn in the form of food. Thus, in cold weather, the feedingcentre is stimulated, increasing the food intake.Another important reasonforanoted increase inhunger isamarked drop in water intake during colder days. When thetemperatureislow,youdon'treallyfeeltheneedtodrinkmoreoften, as you don't feel thirsty again and again. As the fluidintakereduces,youtendtoconfusethirstwithhunger,whichleads to increased consumption of food and thus, a biggerappetite. So, focus on keeping the fluid intake constantthroughout the year, not just in summer. Less hydration hasmany disadvantages. It is the underlying reason for coldsores, dry and flaky skin, itching, cracked lipsand lacklustrehair.If gulping down glasses of water doesn't appeal to you, tryincreasing the intake of other fluids like milk, juices andcaffeine-free tea, like jasmine, chamomile and other naturalflowerextracts.Do remember thatcaffeinatedbeveragesarenevercountedasliquidintake;instead,theysapyoursystemof water. Soups are a healthy and delicious way to stayhydratedandwarmduringwinter.

Soups need not be loaded with cream and grease; opt forrecipesthatcontainchickenorvegetablebrothandavarietyofvegetables,beans,andleanmeat- thekindof ingredientsthatmakeyoufeellightandhealthy.Soupsareagreatway to incorporatenutritionally-rich foodsin your diet. Plus, theywork as awonderful option for pickyeaters.Youcancookyoursoup longerorshorter tovary thecrunchiness of the vegetables. You can also puree theingredientstoaddacreaminess.CHICKEN TOFU LEMON CORIANDER SOUPIngredients:Olive oil: 1 tsp, Garlic cloves: 2, Green chilli(small, crushed): 1, Oil: ½ tsp, Vegetable or chicken stock:500ml,Corianderleaves(finelychopped):2tbsp,Cornflour:2tsp, Fish sauce: ½ tsp, Boneless chicken or tofu (smallpieces): 50 gm,Carrots and beans (finely chopped): 50 gm,Egg:1,SaltandlemonjuicetotasteMethod:Take one tsp olive oil and saute garlic and greenchillies in it for 1 min. Add tofu chicken pieces and sautefurther for 2mins.Add stock and boil for 10mins.Add salt.Turn off the gas and add coriander leaves. Just beforeserving, bring to a boil and add fish sauce. To thicken thesoup, take two tsp cornflour in a bowl and dilute it in littlewater. Add this diluted cornflour to the soup and stir it well.Add the beaten egg as well. Add lemon juice as per taste.(Vegetarians need to do away with fish sauce and egg; thesoup tastes delicious without them too). It is a healthy,nourishing soup that tickles the tastebuds with chillies andgarlicandhydratesthebody.

POTATO AND MUSHROOM SOUPIngredients:Boiled potatoes (medium, grated): 2,Mushrooms (sliced):50gm ,Garliccloves (crushed):1 to2,Vegetablestock:2cups,Celery(finelychopped):1tsp,Dashofbutter,SaltandpeppertotasteMethod:Saute garlic in a dash of butter. Add gratedpotatoes,1cupwaterandboil it till itbecomessmooth.Addthe vegetable stock and sliced mushrooms. Boil for 5 to 7mins.Addsalt to tasteandcoarselygroundpepper.Garnishwith finely chopped celery. This thick, smooth soup is veryfilling and warms you on cold winter nights.ByPoojaMakhija,ConsultingNutritionist&ClinicalDieticianRecipe:ShrimpPakodaIngredients:200gmsofshrimp(cleanitproperlyandthende-veinitverycarefully)¼tbsplimejuice¼tbsproastedcuminpowderSalttotasteGarlicpasteRedchillypowderOnecupbesan/chickpeaflourApinchofbakingpowder¼cupfinelychoppedonions2finelychoppedgreenchilliMethod:1.Tosstheshrimpwith¼tspoflimejuice,¼tsproastedcuminpowder,garlicpaste,redchilipowderandsalt.Leaveitasidetobemarinatedforabout10to15minutes.

2.Mix1cupofbesan/chickpeaflour,apinchofbakingpowder,1/4tspofredchilipowder,salttotaste,3/4cupor1cupofwatertomakeasmoothbatter.3.Tothebatteraddabout1/4cupoffinelychoppedonionsand2greenchili,finelychopped(thisisoptional).4.Heatoilinthekadhaianddeepfrythem.ThesamosasarereadytobeservedMirchikaSalan:thesidekickinthemaindrama

For most Hyderabadis, mirchi ka salan is the perfectaccompanimenttobiryani.Nothingmore.Butformanypeoplewhosavourthisspicy,tangyandmellowdish,itappearslikeadishthatcanstandonitsown.However,notmanyknowthatthisspicychillicurrywasonceuponatimeeatenwithriceorchapati.Yes, theNawabsofHyderabad relished it thatway.Adishbyitself For theShahAlamKhan family, thepreparationofmirchikasalan is considered tobeanart and likebiryani, this dish isalsolavishedasmuchattentionincooking.NawabShahAlamKhan,connoisseurandthefinalwordonHyderabadigourmet

cuisine, shares his tale about this spicy Hyderabadi dish. "Ibelongtoanoldorder,ajagirdarfamilyandhavemovedwithlotofjagirdars.Idon'tremembereverhavingbiryaniwithanykind of curry ormirchi ka salan. Biryani itself is amealwithflavours of spicesand should beeaten separately.Similarly,mirchikasalanisalsoadishinitselfwhichhasbeenthereforcenturies and the nawabs used to have it with chapatis orplainrice,"herevealsandadds,"Inourtime,wehadonlyonewayofmakingmirchikasalan,thebrownishone,whichisstillmade in our houses. It has fried onions with well poundedchironji and almonds. Then the paste of ginger, garlic andgaram masala is added along with tamarind with long fatmirchis. It's simple, yet tasty. Then, gradually another recipewasdiscovered, thewhitishonewhichdidnothavetamarindbut kharna, a bigger citrus fruit which is rarely found thesedays."However, in both the recipes, there shouldn't be too manychillies,theyspoilthetaste.Moreover,Ifeel,overaperiodoftime,peoplehavedevelopedatasteandmirchikasalanhasbecome a part of biryani now and everybody has startedmakingitdifferently,"saysShahAlamKhan.Well, this nawabi family has a huge list of recipes to share,whichmany would love to rustle up. "We alsomake a dishcalledmuchumbar,it'sabetterversionofmirchikasalanandnobodyknowsaboutitexceptourfamily.Theingredientsarealmost the same, but the procedure ofmaking it is differentanditcontainsmoreonions.It'stastierthanourregularmirchikasalan,"hereveals.

Differentf lavoursIf theAlamKhanfamily isproudabout itsexclusiverecipeofthis Hyderabadi dish, architect Renu Siraj is happy to shareheroneaswell."Mirchikasalanandbiryanigohand-in-handand I can't imagine having biryani without it. I'm sure everyfamily has its own recipe to share and the taste as well asflavourisdifferent.However,Ireallylovetheonewemakeatourplace.It'sgreenishincolourwithflavoursoftil,khuskhus,imli, khada masala and long chillies," she shares.LawyerShaziaKhan,adds, "Biryaniandmirchikasalan isaperfectcombinationlikedalmakhaniordalbatichurma.Theybothcomplimenteachotherverywellandaddmoreflavourtothe cuisine. Evenmy familymembers and I relish the salanwith biryani, andmake it in three different ways. There is agreenishonewhichhasdrycoconut,cuminseeds,corianderseeds,onionandgreenchillis.Thenthereistheonewhichiswhite in colour and has tamarind, turmeric, coconut, greenchillies.Thethirdistheregularbrownone.However,wemakethegreenonemostly,it'slikeadelicacywithdahi-ki-chutney."Favouriteofal l WhetheraHyderabadioranon-Hyderabadi,thisspicycurryisa favourite. Dr Rumy Azad, who's a non-Hyderabadi, says,"I'maPunjabi,andIdidnotknowabouthaleemandmirchikasalanuntil Ishifted toHyderabad.Later, Istarted liking themboth,andtoday,Icannotthinkofbiryaniwithoutthesalan.It'saperfectcombination.IwaittorelishthemwheneverIgetthechance.I likethepistagreenone—theauthenticonemadeinMuslim families. In fact,at times, Ipreferhaving thesalanwith rotis and we can preserve it for a few days as well. Itremindsmeofbharwanmirchi,aPunjabidish."

TheNawabirecipeRaffathJehansharesherauthentic familyrecipeofmirchikasalan,whichhasbeenhandeddown toherbyher father-in-law,NawabShahAlamKhan.Ingredients100gmbiggreenchillies10gm jeerapowder10gmdhaniapowder 5 gm sesame powder 5 gm coconut, grated 5 gmpeanuts, roastedandground1/2mediumonion, roastedandground 10 gm tamarind, soaked and ground 2 tsp ginger-garlicpaste1tspchillipowder1/2tspturmericpowder100mlrefinedoil2tspsugar5gmkalonji(onionseeds)5gmmethiseeds5gmmustardseedsSalttotasteMethodMix all the roasted and ground ingredients with jeera anddhaniapowders.Addthechilli, turmericpowderto itandaddsalttotaste.Keepaside.Heatoilinapathela,putthekalonji,methi seeds and mustard seeds, cook until they start tosplutterandthenaddthegreenchilliesandcoverwiththelidandcookforfiveminutes.Nowliftthelidandcookfurtherforfive minutes and then remove the chillies from the oil. Nowaddtheroasted,groundmixturetothehotoilandkeepstirringtill the oil separates from themixture. Then add about 2 tspsugartothemixture.Nowaddthefried/cookedgreenchilliesto the mixture with some water and simmer for another 10minutesandremovefromthefire.

Environmentcontrol ledpoultryhouses

Hyderabad,November24:

ECO-CONTROLLEDPOULTRYHOUSES

VijayRajPoultryEquipmentPrivateLimited,whichmanufactureswelded mesh and poultry cages for the poultry industry, haslaunched ‘environment controlled poultry houses’. “Environmentcontrolledpoultryhousesarenowgainingpopularityas it is veryimportant to keep air and floor temperature under control,”UdayRaj,a topexecutiveof thecompanysaidhere inastatementonMonday.Thecompanyhas tiedupwithpre-engineeredbuildingscontracting company Kishore Infratech Private Limited (KIPL) fortechnologysupport.“Wearetargetingtosell60unitsinoneyear,”he said. KIPL has produced 100 pre-engineered sheds for theagriculture and allied sectors. The two companies are going toshowcase the technology and its advantage at the upcomingPoultry India Expo scheduled to be held here next week.OurBureauPlanters body worried over sl iding Kochi teaprices

Kochi, November 24:The Association of Planters of KeralahasraisedseriousconcernoverthecontinuousfallinteapricesattheKochiteaauction.

The planters’ body urged the Kerala government to encourageState Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) to purchase aminimumone lakh kg perweek of teas produced inKerala fromtheKochiauctionmarket.

APKcitedthegeopoliticalinstabilityinthetraditionalmarketssuchasWestAsia,CISandsomeSouthAsiancountriesandtheglutofcheaperKenyanteasintheworldmarketastheimmediatereasonforthepricedecline.

Meanwhile, tea prices declined at the Kochi auction this weekamidst subdued upcountry demand and low arrivals for dustvarieties.

Ofthequantityof12,12,000kgonofferinCTCdust,themarketforGoodLiquoringteaswassteadytofirmandsometimesdearer.

OtherswereirregularandlowerbyRs.2-3akgandoccasionallymore. Insaleno47, therewasgooddemand forGoodLiquoringTeaswith82percentsold.

However,thedemandwasfairforothervarieties.Improvedexportenquiry witnessed on Grainier varieties, the auctioneers Forbes,Ewart & Figgis said. In Cochin CTC quotation, good varietiesfetchedRs.97-146,mediumgradesquotedRs.64-95whilePlainsstoodatRs.53-60.

IntheOrthodoxleaf,themarketforNilgiriallvarietieswasfirmtodearer with longer margins of Rs. 5-10 and sometimes morefollowing quality. The Whole Leaf showed strong feature andrecordedsomeattractiveprices.Thequantityonofferwas160,500kg.Cottonwiltsonweakbuyingbymil ls

Rajkot, November 24:Cottonpricemoveddownonthebackofpoordemandfromdomesticmillsathigherlevel.Kapasorrawcottontoodeclinedmarginallyasginningdemandwasweak.

Gujarat Sankar-6 cotton lost Rs. 100-200 to Rs. 33,200-400 percandyof356kg.About25,000bales (of170kgeach)arrived inGujaratand1.90 lakhbalesarrived in India.Kapaswasdownby

Rs.5toRs.800-815foramaundof20kgandgindeliverykapaswasRs.815-830.CottonseedwasquotedRs.345-352.

TheCottonCorporationofIndiahasbeenactivelybuyingunderamarketinterventionschemeandhasbought2.5lakhbales.Seasonal demand pushes up cashew exports inOctober

Butstilllagginglastyear'sdespatches

Kochi,November24:Strong winter demand appears to have resulted in an upsurge,after a continuous decline for about six months, in exports ofcashewkernelsandothercashewproductsinOctober.

Thecountryshipped11,325tonnesofcashewkernels inOctoberthisyearvaluedatRs.526croreatanunitvalueofRs.464.44akg against 10,439 tonnes of cashewsworth Rs. 434.68 crore atRs.416.40akgsameperiodlastyear.

However,thetotalshipmentsduringthefirstsevenmonthsofthecurrent fiscal continued to be far below exports during the sameperiodthepreviousfinancialyear.

The country shipped 68,719 tonnes of cashews in April-October2014valuedatRs.3,000.29croreatanaverageunitvalueofRs.436.60akg.

In the corresponding period last year it stood at 72,230 tonnesvalued at Rs. 2,954.58 crore at the average unit value of Rs.409.05akg.

Rawnutexports

Interestingly, Indianexportof rawcashewalsosoaredduring theperiodunderreview.

ExportofrawnutsinOctoberroseto10,572tonnesvaluedatRs.91.64crorefrom989tonnesvaluedatRs.5.84croreinthesameperiod lastyear.Theunitvalue realised inOctober thisyearwasRs.86.68akg(Rs.59.09).

India shipped 11,130 tonnes of raw cashew nuts during April-October this year valuedatRs. 114.35croreat theunit valueofRs.102.74akgagainst3,063tonnesvaluedatRs.17.89croreattheunitvalueofRs.58.39.

MuchoftheshipmentsofrawnutsweretoVietnam,whereIndiancashewprocessorshaveestablishedprocessingfacilities.

They are believed to be shipping out from the imported raw nutstockstotheirunitsinVietnam,tradesourcessaid.

Importssoar

ImportsofrawnutsduringApril-Octoberstoodat7,63,548tonnesvalued atRs. 5,172.59 crore and the unit value paidwas atRs.67.74akg.

Imports in the corresponding period last fiscal were at 6,02,298tonnesvaluedatRs.3,279.04croreattheunitvalueofRs.54.44a kg, Sasi Varma, Executive Director and Secretary, CashewExportPromotionCouncilofIndia,toldBusinessLine.Heattributedthe rise in exports of cashew kernel, of late, to the demand forwinter/ChristmasandNewYearseason.

Priceoutlook

Meanwhile, Pankaj Sampat, a Mumbai-based dealer, said thatcashewcontinuedtobethemostreasonablypricednutmovinginarelativelynarrowrangewhencomparedwithothernuts.

Therefore, “it would be reasonable to expect prices to remain inthis rangeandmaybeevenmoveupabit –dependingonbuyerbehaviour.Thecashewkernelpricesare likely to in the rangeof$3.40-3.70fornext3-4monthsandmaybemore,”hesaid.

Ragi inwhitewouldst i l l beasnutr i t ious!

UAS station in Mandya to release white variety forcommercialcultivationnextkharifBengaluru,November24:For thoseofyouwhohavestayedaway fromragior fingermilletjustbecauseof itsbrownanddarkishappearance, theUniversityof Agricultural Sciences Bengaluru’s regional research station inMandyahasdevelopedanewvarietyofthenutritiouscerealthat’swhiteincolour.

Tobereleasedforcommercialcultivationinthenextkharifseason,thewhiteragivarietyistargettedatbakersandmakersofbiscuits,vermicelli,pastaandcereal-basedsnacks.

“We have developed a white ragi variety – KMR 340 – over thepast seven years after cross breeding several existing varieties.Weexpect to release it forcommercialcultivationduring thenextkharif season,” saidCRRavishankar,RagiBreeder andHeadofAllIndiaCo-ordinatedResearchProjectforSmallMilletsattheVCFarm,Mandya,theregionalresearchstationofUAS,Bengaluru.

“Small kids and even some grown ups don’t eat ragi due to thereddishbrownandblackishcolour.Thedevelopmentof thewhitevarietywillhelpbakeriestomaketheirproductsbetterintermsofappearance,”Ravishankarsaid.

Ragi,hesaid,hasseenanewfounddemandinrecentyearswithhealth conscious consumerswakingup to thenutritional benefitsofthecerealevenaslifestylediseasesareontherise.

With its high calcium, protein and fibre content, compared tocerealssuchaswheatandrice,ragihasfoundfavourevenamongbiscuitmakers,includingcompaniessuchasBritannia.

The rising awareness of the nutritional benefits of ragi and

developmentofvalueaddedproducts -- in the formofbiscuitsorcakes,malt and even porridgemix is driving the consumption ofsmallmillets.

Ragi is a staple food in the southern States where it is largelyconsumed in the form of porridge, bread and dumplings or ballsalongwithcurry.Thisfingermilletisgrownbothasmaincropandalsoasinter-cropintheState,largelyunderrain-fedconditions.

However,theacreageundertheragihasseenadeclineinrecentyears.Itisestimatedthatragiisgrownonabout7.5lakhhectaresand its total production in Karnataka is estimated at 1.5 milliontonnesannually.“Thewhitevarietywillenableragitomovetothenext level and can bring in a new set of consumers.Colour hasbeenadeterrent to consumption,” saidPrashantParameswaran,ManagingDirectorofKottaramFoodsPvtLtd,whichmarketsragi-basedproductsunderthe‘Soulfull’brand.

Awhiteragivariety,whichwillhelpchangeperceptionofitscolour,has to be commercially viable. But the challenge is how tocommunicateto theconsumerthat thewhitevarietyretainsall itsgoodness,Parameswaransaid.

A senior scientist at the Food & Nutrition section of the HomeSciences Department, UAS Bengaluru said that while the whitevarietyhasalmostallnutritivevaluesthatablackragihas,itmaynot be as rich as the latter in terms of nutraceuticals andpolyphenols,atypeofanti-oxidantswhichthebrowncoatinglendstothetraditionalfingermillet.

Karnatakahasthelargestareaunderragi,mainly inthesoutherndistricts. The finger millet is also grown in parts of Tamil Nadu,AndhraPradesh,Uttarakhand,OrissaandevenChhattisgarh.