Kadaknath farming in punjab

SINGAPORE - Nine urban farms have been offered a total of $39.4 million by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) as part of efforts to support the growth of local agrifood enterprises and ramp up local food production over the next six to 24 months. The amount was made available through the "30x30 Express" grant launched by the SFA on April 17 this year. The aim of the grant was to meet 30 per cent of Singapore's nutritional needs with food produced locally by 2030. More than 40 proposals were received by May 29, the closing date for proposals, and SFA said that the nine selected incorporated highly productive farming systems that could be constructed and implemented quickly to achieve high production levels. All the proposals were assessed based on benchmarks such as productivity, project feasibility, economic viability and the farms' capabilities. SFA had to increase its original $30 million budget for the grant to close to $40 million to support the nine companies' proposals, ... » Learn More about Nine high-tech farms in Singapore awarded nearly $40 million to ramp up food production

JR Royol With the recent surge in prices of produce, the idea of growing one’s own food has seemingly become more attractive to people who want to save money, but still eat well. This is one of the goals of GMA News TV’s new cooking show, “Farm to Table,” which will have “MasterChef Pinoy Edition” winner JR Royol giving viewers a peek into how their favorite meals are prepared, from growing and harvesting the ingredients to cooking and plating them. “It’s the foundation of the show … to spread the planting culture. The more people we encourage and inspire to start tilling soil and planting, the better,” he told the Inquirer in a recent virtual conference for the said program, which airs every Saturday at 6:15 p.m. While eating delicious dishes is the end goal, the process can be just as fulfilling, JR said, and he hopes to share that feeling with the audience. “The fulfillment you get from the whole journey is something words can’t describe properly. Eating good and healthy ... » Learn More about New cooking show ‘Farm to Table’ encourages more people to plant own food

If you’re feeling a little cooped up from working from home or simply need a break from fast-paced city life, the northwestern part of our island is filled with hidden gems for a tranquil Singapoliday. Think farm-to-fork dining experiences, farm-hopping and plenty of fresh air to spare! BRANDED CONTENT: How To Not Waste Your Annual Leave | Episode 3 You’ll discover a new side of the island that you never knew existed, and even achieve some much-needed rest and relaxation. And for parents who want to get the children off their electronic devices this school holidays, and want to have active kids well occupied, the Mandai and Kranji countryside is an ideal place for some family bonding that isn’t another mall outing. It’s also a great way for the grownups to disconnect and consume your annual leave days effectively. There’s no need to wait for the weekend. Put on your explorer hat, unplug and get back to nature as you venture to these eight unique places in the serene Mandai ... » Learn More about School holiday plans: A farm stay and animal adventures right here in Singapore’s ‘countryside’

DHAKA (THE DAILY STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The biggest political challenge that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government faces right now is the agitation on the outskirts of Delhi by farmers coming mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western part of Uttar Pradesh. The protest by thousands of farmers has already entered its third month, and there is no sign of a resolution even after eleven rounds of talks between the protesters and the government. Both sides are firmly entrenched in their respective position on the fate of the three new contentious agricultural laws piloted by the Modi government as one of its bold reform initiatives. While the farmer unions insist on total repeal of the laws, the government has offered to make changes in the legislation to address their concerns, an offer that the unions lost no time in rejecting. What's more worrying for the government is that the farmers are intensifying their agitation and have threatened to block highways across India ... » Learn More about Indian farmer protests a daunting challenge for Modi government: Daily Star columnist

SINGAPORE - Needy Sembawang residents now have the chance to try out fresh organic vegetables, courtesy of their neighbours. Some 250 residents working across 23 community gardens have banded together to plan how to distribute their harvest over the next year. The vegetables, including the popular kai lan and nai bai, will supplement the regular food donations given to needy residents. About 200kg of vegetables were donated to 270 residents in Sembawang West and Admiralty on Sunday (Feb 28), in the first giveaway under the Sembawang GRC Gardens Give Back Project. The residents also received necessities such as oil, salt and clothes. Community gardener Jason Yeo, 57, who was on the committee behind the project, said the gardeners usually share their harvests with residents living near the gardens. Mr Yeo, who is also the chairman of the Sembawang West Zone E Resident Network, said: "Only residents staying around the area would benefit, so we thought about giving it out to ... » Learn More about Sembawang GRC community farmers band together to donate produce to needy families

SINGAPORE - Two pilot projects to increase awareness of and demand for locally produced food are set to be launched in the second half of this year by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA). One will target first-time mothers and aim to show them the benefits of eating local produce, while the other will make identifying local produce in wet markets easier. The two pilot projects were selected by MSE and SFA out of six proposals that were presented last year by a citizen's workgroup. Members of the public came together, alongside subject matter experts from the local agri-food industry, to discuss ideas. The two chosen pilot projects were announced by Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor at an appreciation event for the Citizens' Workgroup on Saturday (Feb 6). The event was held at local sustainable farm Edible Garden City in Queenstown. Minister for Sustainability and the ... » Learn More about Two projects to promote locally produced food to be rolled out this year

Plant-based meat alternatives – from burger patties and sausages to minced pork and even shrimp – are an increasingly common sight on supermarket shelves and dining tables across Asia. Indeed, a recent study projects that the market for meat analogues in Asia-Pacific will grow by 25 per cent over the next five years. Most of these products are derived from mainstream ingredients such as soy, wheat, peas and gluten – and for good reason. For instance, the Impossible Burger is chiefly made from soy protein concentrate, while Omnipork’s pork analogues are produced using a blend of peas, soy, shiitake mushrooms and rice. “Such crops carry the advantages of a more mature supply chain and decades of knowledge on how to utilise them for alternative protein purposes,” explains Mirte Gosker, acting managing director of The Good Food Institute Asia Pacific. In contrast, Singapore food tech start-up Sophie’s Bionutrients is banking on an entirely different ingredient: microalgae – ... » Learn More about Microalgae meat substitute gives Singapore food tech start-up an advantage over plant-based alternatives

SINGAPORE - Covid-19 will not be the world's last pandemic. Many of us may even live to see the next one, but we are unlikely to be any more prepared for it than we were for this one. That is the bleak opinion of Dr Kenneth Iserson, professor emeritus of emergency medicine at the University of Arizona in the United States, who specialises in global and disaster medicine. The world is already seeing a number of new diseases that could potentially develop into Disease X, Dr Iserson told The Straits Times, referring to a placeholder name that acknowledges the likelihood of a severe infectious disease still unknown to humans. "There are probably other unrecognised infectious diseases already in circulation that can have devastating implications. But the disparate, politically motivated and uncoordinated response to Covid-19 suggests that we have not learnt much that will prepare us for future pandemics." Disease X is one of a dozen deadly pathogens, including the severe acute ... » Learn More about The next pandemic is already on the horizon

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law a measure creating a trust fund for the country’s coconut farmers. Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act on Friday, Feb. 26, a copy of the law sent to the media showed. Under the law, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan will be crafted by the Philippine Coconut Authority. It stated that the plan will “set the directions and policies for the development and rehabilitation of the coconut industry within 50 years.” The law mandates the Bureau of Treasury to transfer P10 billion to the trust fund in the first year; P10 billion in the second year; P15 billion in the third year; P15 billion in the fourth year; and P25 billion during the fifth year. Some P5 billion from the trust fund will be used upon enactment of the law for programs such as planting and replanting of hybrid coconut seedlings, training of coconut farmers and their families, among ... » Learn More about Duterte signs law creating coco levy trust fund

A wild and ailing sheep found in a forest in Australia, named Baarack by rescuers, has yielded a fleece weighing more than 35 kilogrammes - nearly half the weight of an adult kangaroo - after being shorn for the first time in many a year. The sheep was found by a member of the public who contacted the Edgar’s Mission Farm Sanctuary near Lancefield, Victoria, about 60 kilometres north of Melbourne, according to the Mission’s Kyle Behrend. “It would appear Baarack was once an owned sheep,” said Behrend, “he had at one time been ear-tagged, however these appear to have been torn out by the thick matted fleece around his face. “Sheep need to be shorn at least annually otherwise the fleece continues to grow and grow, as happened here,” said Behrend. After his much-needed shearing, Behrend said Baarack’s fleece weighed in at 35.4 kilogrammes. “Whilst his hooves were in great condition from running over the rocks in the forest, he was in a bit of a bad way. He was underweight, and ... » Learn More about Baarack from the brink: Wild sheep rescued in Australia shorn of 35 kg fleece