A two-day banana festival is scheduled to be held during December 14-15 at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex here.
Second edition
This is the second edition of the event. “It is being mooted at the State-level to promote development of certain agricultural commodities specific to the State. Banana has been identified as the nodal crop for the State owing to the quantum of production and the distinctive varieties of this so-called ‘poor man’s fruit,” farm varsity Vice-Chancellor Ramasamy said.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University incidentally is the knowledge partner to this event.
The mela is being organised by the Tamil Nadu Banana Growers Federation in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Around 3,000 farmers are expected to attend this event, a CII spokesperson said.
The Vice-Chancellor said that there were 128 varieties of banana, but less than 50 per cent of these were alive. All of these, including value-added products from banana fruit, by-products from banana fibre, psuedostem and leaves will be showcased during the two-day mela, he said.
“The University works with farmers and develops technology. One such technology was developed in 1998 for banana and given to the farmers.
“The President of Tamil Nadu Banana Growers Federation A.P. Karuppaiah improvised this and went for cold storage and ripening chamber to increase the shelf-life of the fruit. The State Government approved transfer of this technology to five different locations. “The Department is now keen to develop cold storage chain along the Theni-Chennai, Madurai-Tuticorin route,” he added.
Ripening chamber
“While cold storage chain is important, we also need ripening chamber. There are about 18 such chambers at present. The Department is planning to add a dozen chambers in and around Chennai, connecting all directions. The State is envisioning at least one cold storage chain and ripening chamber in every district during this Plan period. We want to take this to every village shandy in five years,” he added.
source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> National / by The Hindu Bureau / Coimbatore – December 09th, 2013
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, E M Sundarsana Natchiappan, addressing at a seminar on coconut development in Pudukottai. / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Union Minister tells farmers to emulate their counterparts in Pollachi
The Coir Board of India is satisfied over the potential of coconut production in Pudukottai district and all efforts will be taken to provide subsidy and other benefits being implemented through the Board, said E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries.
Delivering the keynote address at the day-long state-level seminar-cum-exhibition on “coconut development” organised jointly by the Coir Board of India, the Pudukottai District Coconut Farmers’ Federation, and the Aranthangi Coconut Farmers Association here on Saturday, Mr. Sudarsana Natchiappan said that the board, after a survey, had identified the potential of the district in coconut production. He appealed to the coconut farmers to fully utilise the subsidy-based programmes being implemented by the board. Every farmer would get an annual subsidy of Rs. 17,500 a hectare for two years and fertilizers would be supplied to farmers.
With a view to tapping the potential of coconut largely available in this belt, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries would set up a coconut and coir handicrafts design centre in Karaikudi. The modalities were worked out in this regard, he said.
Hemachandran, Deputy Director of Coir Board of India, Kochi, explained the steps taken by the board after realising the potential of Pudukottai district in coconut production. He appealed to farmers to emulate the example of Pollachi where the producers got prospective returns and ensured quality in produce.
G.S. Dhanapathy, District Chairman of Farmers Forum of India, said the objective of the seminar was to evolve ways and means for value addition in coconut products and for promoting export.
Speakers from various government departments explained the agricultural inputs, subsidy, and compensation being provided by the Union and State governments to coconut growers.
An exhibition was organised as part of the seminar. Mechanisation in coconut cultivation was explained to the visiting coconut growers. It sought to sensitise the visitors on marketing coconut and value-added produce.
A large number of coconut farmers from across the State participated in the seminar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Tiruchirapalli / by Special Correspondent / Aranthangi – December 01st, 2013
Wildlife officials at the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park (GoMMNP) are coming out with a turtle conservation plan to protect turtle species and their nesting sites in the coastal region. The national park is home to a variety of species like Olive Ridley, Green, Leatherback and Hawksbill turtles and the entire coastal region of Ramanathapuram, Tuticorin and Tirunelveli falling in the Gulf of Mannar are their nesting grounds. While the Leatherback and Hawksbill are critically endangered, the Green and Olive Ridley turtles fall under the endangered and vulnerable categories, respectively as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Though found in good numbers once, the exhaustive fishing activities and coastal establishments and poaching threaten these marine species and the proper conservation plan will be beneficial to save them, wildlife officials from the national park said. Deepak S Bilgi, wildlife warden of GoMMNP said that the conservation plan will work towards conserving the turtles as well as their nesting sites. The restoration of the beaches where they nest and deploying anti-poaching watchers will be part of the plan, he said. They are also planning a hatchery for the turtle eggs and if the funding permits they will come out with that also, Bilgi added. “The conservation plan is in final stages and it would be implemented shortly,” he said.
Wildlife officials said that Arichalmunai, Dhanushkodi, Pamban and Kanirajapuram beaches in Ramanathapuram district and Vaipparu area of Tuticorin district are usually found to be the nesting grounds though the conservation plan will undertake further studies on the nesting sites. While the fishing activities pose danger to the adults, the eggs suffer poaching by humans and feral dogs on the beaches. Though poaching of adults have been reported in the region the number of such incidents has come down over the period, the officials added.
Meanwhile, conservationists stressed on creating awareness among the fishing folk. S Bharathidasan of Arulagam, a Coimbatore-based wildlife NGO who has worked in Tirunelveli beaches on turtle conservation between 2006 and 2010 said the fisher folk should be sensitised on using turtle excluder in their fishing gear. “The turtles are poached predominantly for their meat. Though there is awareness on poaching and the number of incidents declining, the real need is to save the turtles being caught in fishing gear. They drown and get killed once they entangled in the nets. Even if the fishermen discard them upon pulling the nets, the turtles would have been dead by then,” he explained. “In such cases, using turtle excluder will help conservation measures and the awareness among the fishermen to use it should be given more thrust,” he opined.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai> Olive Ridley / by J. Arockiaraj, TNN / November 29th, 2013
A 53-year-old woman delivered a girl baby through the capsule test tube baby technology at a hospital in Erode on Thursday morning. Pankajam Velappan, who battled infertility for over two decades, is now an ecstatic mother, said Dr Nirmala Sadasivam, Medical Director, Maaruthi Medical Centre and Hospitals, Erode.
This capsule test tube baby technology was first introduced in USA in 2011 and a year later in India. The advantage of the capsule IVF is that it is far less expensive than test tube baby treatment.
The procedure requires minimal ovulation induction with few hormonal drugs. The procedure involves retrieving of eggs from the woman and fusing it with the prepared sperm.
The prepared material will be placed inside the capsule under ideal aseptic laboratory condition and this is then kept in the woman’s vaginal cavity to promote the culture of the embryos.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / November 29th, 2013
To ensure a continuous supply of fresh vegetables to urban markets, the State Horticulture Department will set up 40 collection centres and 100 retail outlets in Coimbatore and Chennai.
Speaking to Express on the sidelines of Farm to Fork: Challenges and Opportunities in Indian Agribusiness & Food Processing Industry, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry here, Satyabrata Sahoo, State commissioner, Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Agriculture Department said that the State government had sought expression of interest from aggregators or private entrepreneurs for setting up 16 collections centres.
The aim is to create a forward linkage from rural to urban areas.
He said that Chennai and Coimbatore would have 50 retail outlets each under the scheme.
The move will ensure an assured income to farmers in rural areas adjoining the cities. Clusters of farmers will be formed to supply produce to a society run by the farmers at the district level.
Private entrepreneurs or aggregators will be engaged to collect, sort, grade and pack the produce at their location and supply it to retail outlets in the city. This scheme will be implemented as a public private partnership, he said.
Sahoo said that rooftop gardening would soon be implemented in the State in 12,000 places.
“We have called for tenders,” he added.
Nine thousand of these will be taken up in the city while 3,000 rooftops in Coimbatore will be converted into gardens.
Earlier, addressing the gathering, Michael Carter, Australian Trade commissioner said that Australia’s Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology, had entered into a `148 million partnership to help stamp out iron-deficiency anaemia, a major cause of maternal death during childbirth.
The project will see new strains of iron-rich bananas.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Education> Student / by Express News Service – Chennai / November 28th, 2013
A first aid kit for snake bite at Adventure Shoppe in Coimbatore / Photo: K. Ananthan / The Hindu
Nature enthusiast A. Sivakumar speaks to K. Jeshi on how hitting the outdoors brings alive the conservationist in every traveller
He spends weekends in the company of birds, butterflies and Nature. He goes trekking in Wayanad, Mudumalai and the Niligiris and believes enjoying Nature is the first step in conservation. “You take ownership and want to give something back,” says A. Sivakumar.
He enrolled as a member of Salim Ali Naturalist Forum (SANF) for bird watching. During an outing, he realised that trekkers often sourced camping and trekking equipment from other States. That’s when he got the idea of starting Adventure Shoppe. It stocks equipment for camping and trekking, riding, racing and wildlife management, and has compact travel kits and accessories. “We want to encourage people to travel more. The idea is to kindle the conservationist in every traveller,” says Sivakumar.
Initially, orders were hard to come by. Sivakumar persisted, personally meeting forest officials, wildlife and Nature enthusiasts, birders and conservationists. “The word spread. My first order was for 10 sleeping bags for the Forest Department,” he recalls.
Slowly, he was approached for providing equipment (carabiner, hooks, climbing rope and body harness) for windmill installations and cleaning of high-rises. Sivakumar explored wildlife management equipment and introduced a range of camera traps. “The Forest Department uses it to record wildlife. Recently, it also helped them arrest a poacher,” he points out.
A camera trap at Adventure Shoppe in Coimbatore / Photo: K. Ananthan / The Hindu
What’s new?
All the products are imported from the U.S. and South East Asian countries. “Selecting the right product, supplier and brand makes up 70 per cent of our work. We go in for CE-certified products as we are dealing with lives. Hundreds of products hit the market every day and we keep a watch on what’s new.” There is stiff online competition, but credibility keeps us going, he says. This wildlife enthusiast has also supplied 5,000 snake bite first-aid kits to 240 battalions of the CRPF. “In 2010, we got just five kits because we weren’t sure about the product. The former Director-General K. Vijayakumar saw the product on our website. They found the product useful. In fact, the kit saved the life of one of my friends Rajkumar, who worked as honorary wildlife warden of Nagarhole.”
Sivakumar’s clientele is spread across the country and includes conservationists, racers, riders, climbers, trekkers and corporate houses, besides Government departments. Recently, he supplied multi-function watches for Indian Air Force pilots. They track heart beat, altitude, latitude, longitude and work as a barometer.
At the shop
He walks me down his shop in Fun Republic. There are temperature-specific sleeping bags (that can keep you comfortable even at minus five degrees!), infra red and no-flash camera traps, scuba-diving accessories, archery equipment, fishing accessories, racing suit for riders, backpacks…. There is also a mini refrigerator, Swiss knife, riding luggage for bikers, universal dynamo charger for cell phones, gloves, boots and helmets. The latest addition is wildlife T-shirts.
A.Sivakumar of Adventure Shoppe / Photo: K. Ananthan / The Hindu
He says there is great potential for his products in Coimbatore. “People from here often travel to the Himalayas and Rishikesh. They buy water-proof shoes, hiking poles and winter clothing. They also buy compact travel accessories such as foldable chairs, cots and a multi-fuel cooking stove that works on petrol, diesel or kerosene.”
In the pipeline are plans to launch a no-flash camera traps for home security and a life straw with an inbuilt filter. It ensures that the water trekkers drink from any open body is instantly filtered.
Sivakumar says weekend travel has taken off in a big way. So has dirt biking. “Customers ask for helmets that cost Rs. 40,000 or more. They are aware and prioritise on safety.”
He also helps travellers makes the transition to conservation. “I tell them that photographing Nature alone won’t do. They should stay connected with Nature, observe and conserve. It helps them stay stress free.” Sivakumar follows what he preaches. He takes off on his Royal Enfield 500 cc bike during the weekends. “I am a biker and a conservationist,” he smiles.
Trekking essentials
Good footwear, sleeping bag, compass or GPS, first-aid kit, camping tents, backpacks, water bottles, rain coats, protective gear, multi-fuel stove. “One has to go prepared inside a forest. You need to wear protective shoes to avoid ankle injury. Carry sleeping bags to protect yourself from lizards, snakes, and insects. A pepper spray works as self-defence, and also distracts elephants and bears.”
Camps for children
Sivakumar and a couple of friends have started Iternis that arranges two-day, two-night treks and nature camps for children and adults. Call: 9843222000.
To know more, visit: www.adventureshoppe.com
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by K. Jeshi / Coimbatore – November 21st, 2013
With SpiceJet’s Madurai-Dubai flight taking off tonight, putting the customs airport in the Temple City on an expansion mode, a stall exclusively for Madurai malli (jasmine), which the city is famous for, was opened to promote the flower known for its fragrance in the international market.
N. Jegatheesan, malli exporter and president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has taken a small 4×4 square feet space at the international terminal on rent to make the queen of flowers available for arriving and departing passengers.
The neatly strung fresh jasmines, tied with banana fibre, is sold in two boxes1.5 m long strand for Rs 100, and 3 m long string for Rs 300. Given that stringing the buds is an art perfected by the flower sellers of Madurai, and is looked at with awe by tourists, a skilled jasmine ‘weaver’ has been engaged to keep tying the flowers to demonstrate the craft to tourists.
Union minister of state for commerce and industry E.M. Sudarsana Natchiappan, who inaugurated the stall on Friday, welcomed the move to have a stand for Madurai malli at the airport as the flower, like the Meenakshi temple, is synonymous with the city’s heritage. He urged the trade and industrialists to take steps to promote the flower in the international market.
On day one, the patronage for malli boxes was good. “We kept 50 boxes for sale as it was the opening day. But to our surprise, all were sold out even before the arrival of passengers of the inaugural Dubai flight,” Jegatheesan said. If the swanky airport sports a jasmine stall now to help passengers grab a strand or two, the book Madurai Malligai authored by educationist, Dr Uma Kannan, has already been made available to help international tourists have an insight of the city’s ubiquitous flower and its versatility.
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com/ Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / November 23rd, 2013
On the occasion of World Diabetes day, the city municipal corporation opened its herbal canteen service at the main office complex of the corporation. Specifically meant to serve healthy and nutritious meals the herbal canteen at the corporation is expected to be a great relief for hundreds of visitors and employees working at the corporation main office.
“The menu was fixed after ensuring the nutritional content of the food. Members of selected self help groups will operate the centre and our officials will monitor it,” said G Latha, commissioner, Coimbatore municipal corporation.
The herbal canteen will serve soup varieties from 11.am to 12.30 am at Rs10 per serving. Lunch time is from 12.30 to 2.30 pm during which limited meals and various variety rice would be served for Rs40 and Rs20 respectively. Evening snacks would be available from 4pm to 6pm at a rate of Rs10 per plate. Items include Navadhanya Adai, Vazhapoo Vadai and other savouries. The canteen will also serve various varieties of herbal and organic teas.
“We have supplied utensils and other facilities to the women entrusted with the canteen and they will pay us Rs750 daily. We will also fix a salary for them,” Latha added.
The corporation has spent around Rs 2.76 lakh on the herbal canteen and was reportedly planning to give it on a monthly rent of Rs5000 but now it is exploring possibility of lowering the rent. The canteen would be managed by 14 members of Sri Ganga Yamuna Womens SHG from Kurichi.
“The corporation has given us the facilities to operate the canteen. We will purchase the ingredients and other items required from the open market,” said P Pushpavalli, an SHG member.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Coimbatore / by TNN / November 15th, 2013
Simrat Chadha and Nilini Sriram with korvai saris. / Photo: S.Madhuvanthi / The Hindu
Simrat Chadha brings alive the classic Kanchipuram sari, complete with near forgotten designs and colour combinations.
‘We are forward, Weave backward. Say the pitras as they sit by the loom’ – Rg Veda 130
To the rhythm of this unspoken bit of ancient poetry, countless weavers across India and across time have woven saris, upper cloths and veshtis of great beauty and elegance. In time, each region of the country came to excel in a particular set of motifs and designs in colours of Nature that blended to create unique saris with names which were bits of poetry in themselves.
The motifs of the Kanchipuram pattu sari, the pride of South India, had lyrical names such as tuthiripoo, bavanchu, kuyilkann, muthuchir, paalum pazhamum, oosivanam, vaizhapoo and simhasana. As Simrat Chadha, a South Indian pattu revivalist, puts it, “Ironically, the Kanchipuram sari itself is a misnomer. It came to be so called only because of the aggregation of saris and weavers in the city of Kanchipuram. Kanchipuram was actually a great veshti weaving centre! The “pattu” sari, or the Kanchipuram sari as it is commonly known, also owes its design soul less to Kanchipuram and more to the aggressive, spontaneous grace of Andhra’s design language and Karnataka’s staid yet graceful weaving patterns with Tamil Nadu’s structured textile philosophy. Every art form in Tamil Nadu follows strict structural formats. Even checks or lines whatever intricacy they wished to express followed structure. The exquisite Benarasi too came under Kanchipuram pattu sari’s structured patterning when the northern ‘hans’ became the ‘hamsam.’
Benaras patterns
Between 1820 and 1920, the pattu sari weaver began to absorb Benaras patterns such as ‘kinkab’ and ‘khilat’ in a Kanchipuram sari. In fact, so great was the popularity of the Benarasi saris that this writer’s mother’s nine-yard wedding sari – a nearly 100 year old heritage piece today – was a shot silk Benarasi silk spattered with woven bouquets of English flowers bunched in baskets.
A weaver at work / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
What distinguishes a true blue Kanchipuram pattu whose history, according to Hobbes and Watson, goes back to a timeless yesterday while other textile historians give it no more than 500 years?
It has a defined design structure, is heavy in weight, with a warp and weft twist called ‘murukku petta,’ tested zari and a matte finish. It can be identified by ‘seeru’ stripes and ‘kattam’ checks, three shuttle korvai which is a plain interlocked joint or a ‘muggu’ temple spine, and patterned border, mundanai end piece and so on. The borders are wide and pallus defined by elephants and parrots, among other designs.
While the korvai has all but vanished, so have many of the other features of the classic Kanchipuram sari leaving behind a rather soulless coming together of colours, uninspired borders and trendy motifs.
For that rich look: A re-created Kanchivaram sari./ by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Simrat’s passionate journey of revisiting and recreating the classic Kanchipuram was to stop “a bit of our culture and heritage from vanishing in front of our eyes. It was to entice the young person into appreciating and wearing the sari. It’s also my journey of responsibility. We are building pride of association at two ends – the customer and the weaver.”
“It all began with our collection of kodu and kattam cotton saris with korvai which was hugely popular. This convinced us to start our own pattu revival journey. I read all possible books on Kanchipuram saris and began collecting originals. All the old original Kanchipurams belong to mamis — friend’s mothers, aunts, grandmother and even great grandmothers! We then took a few of these originals and visited weavers and weaving centres in Kanchipuram, Salem and Madurai, to convince the weavers to replicate them.
Sarees of various patterns recreated with Korvai. / Photo: S. Madhuvanthi / The Hindu
The response varied. Why should they weave a korvai which was time and labour intensive or create such an intricate border? Sometimes, there would be excitement when an older weaver would identify an oosivanam or a mubaggam which he himself had woven in his younger days! There was a lot of travelling back and forth by the revivalist team, much persuasion and great creative excitement as looms were set up and the recreation process got under way.
The collection of 60 original Kanchipurams and 20 re-created ones mesmerises with ancient mellow beauty, mellifluous mingling of colours, and near-forgotten motifs. An old oosivanam in pink with stripes and a magical border sits besides its revised avatar. The same look and feel with perhaps a subtle difference? An old Vaira-oosi with red body stripes and yellow border is now re-created with yellow body and red border.
If original Korinads entice with their harmony of colours and texture so do the recreated ones in deep blue with red stripes and yellow border or in flaming orange. Part of the re-created saris is the ‘kallam puttani’, ‘kalaialangara pudavai’ and ‘moobhagam’ in a stunning intersection of purple and grey, black and grey and so on. Original black body and broad red border Kanchipurams stun with their design harmony.
Equally harmonious are black and shocking pink, off white with huge checks and ‘maanga’ borders, turquoise with yellow border, some with tiny checks, and much more…
Call 044-24997526 if you want to re-create old heritage saris.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Firday Review> Art / by Pushpa Chari / November 14th, 2013
RAAC Secretary R. Raveendran (centre) and N. Nithyanandam (left), President of Thiyana Social Welfare Trust, discuss the Pasumai Panchayat project with a resident of Mylampatti Panchayatin Coimbatore district on Sunday./ Photo: S. Siva Saravanan / The Hindu
2,700 saplings planted across ten acres of barren land in Mayilampatti
Around 15 kilometres from the city is Mayilampatti, a dry village with huge tracts of barren land, which is now laying the foundation for a movement to increase the green cover in all the 235 village panchayats of Coimbatore district.
Mayilampatti has become the first village to be chosen for executing the ‘Pasumai Panchayat’ project, a mass sapling-planting initiative launched by Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam in May.
This project has brought together many stakeholders right from NGOs such as Siruthuli, Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore (RAAC), Thiyana Social Welfare Trust, to corporate firms such as Coimbatore Textile Club, besides Government agencies such as panchayats and District Rural Development Agency.
As many as 2,700 saplings have been planted across ten acres of barren poromboke land at Mayilampatti.
The main objectives of the project are to increase the green cover, provide roosting place for birds, and create a research field to help students pursue studies in agriculture, horticulture, photography and bird-watching, says RAAC secretary R. Raveendran.
Further, two ponds will also be dug at Mayilampatti, which has a significant peacock population.
Technological tools such as global positioning system(GPS) have been adopted for systematic planting.
The area, soil nature and ground water level were scientifically tested to find out the kind of plant species most likely to thrive on the land. Further, drip irrigation has been adopted, he says.
The growth data will be recorded with suitable picture support from an aerial view and posted on the web.
N. Nithyanandan, president of Thiyana Social Welfare Trust, says a lot of time was spent on convincing all the local stakeholders as the residents have to take ownership for the project to succeed.
While the Mayilampatti Panchayat accorded the necessary approval expeditiously, volunteers from Siruthuli, RAAC and Thiyana Social Welfare Trust, besides students from National Model School’s Nature Club, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Tirupur, and Kathir Engineering College, planted the saplings.
The Coimbatore Textile Club came forward to fund the drip irrigation while the Forest Department gave the saplings. The DRDA has suggested that MNREGS workers also be utilised for the project, he says.
With the project proving successful, he says many other Panchayats have approached them to initiate similar projects in their villages.
Already six acres have been identified in Neelambur Panchayat besides another 14 acres at Vagarayampalayam.
A view of the Pasumai Panchayat underway at the Mylampatti Panchayat in Coimbatore district on Sunday./ Photo: S. Siva Saravanan / The Hindu
Mayilampatti Panchayat president Radhamani Selvaraj says around 30 people including several children work in the project every day from 6 a.m., an indication of the positive reception for the project from the residents.
A.V. Govindaraj, president, Arasur Panchayat, says that through this project they can leave behind a better place for the next generation.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Coimbatore / by R. Sairam / Coimbatore – November 11th, 2013
