STATE AGRICULTURE MINISTERS’ MEETING-NEW DELHI

The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Agriculture, Shri Sharad Pawar chaired the Meeting of State Agriculture & Horticulture Ministers on Managing Agriculture in the context of deficient rainfall, in New Delhi on August 21, 2009. The Union Finance Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee ,The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Shri C.P. Joshi and the Minister of State of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Professor K.V. Thomas are also seen.

‘Haritholsavam’ in Kochi from Aug 28

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The Union Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the Kerala Government is organising a mega agricultural and horticultural exhibition – Haritholsavam 2009 – here from August 28 to 31 at the Agricultural Wholesale Urban Market (EEC Market) at Maradu near here.
The event Web site http://www.haritholsavam.org/ was launched today in Kochi by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, former Supreme Court judge, at a function presided over by the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Prof K.V.Thomas.
Timed to coincide with Kerala’s traditional harvest festival of Onam, Haritholsavam has been formatted as a farmer- to-consumer meet and will showcase fruits and vegetables from different parts of the country as well as enable them to sell their produce at remunerative prices.
Prof Thomas said on the occasion that the event aims to encourage farming of fruits and vegetables, and give an impetus to the uplift of the agricultural sector. The event is a concerted effort to put the food processing industry on the spotlight and to enable this sector to arm itself to meet the challenges of the future, he said.
Commodity boards, scientific institutions, fertiliser and seed companies, food processing units and allied segments of the agricultural sector will participate in the four-day event. It will be a perfect opportunity for related segments and organisations in the sector to showcase their products and services.
As a concurrent event, ICAR will organise a national seminar on ‘Enhancing Agricultural Productivity and Profitability on August 29 and 30 at CMFRI here. Eminent scientists and academicians from the agricultural sector including, Mr Mangala Rai, Director General, ICAR, will present papers on various topics.
Around 200 delegates from the agricultural and fisheries sector will participate in the two-day seminar, which will see papers being presented on diverse topics such as profitability and production of quality rice in Kerala; improving productivity and profitability of horticultural crops; fisheries and animal sector; and enhancing water productivity etc.
The event will also feature cultural shows and vegetarian food and dessert festival, vegetable carving and fruit displays.

Kerala to have a permanent agriculture exhibition Centre

Kochi (PTI): A permanent agriculture exhibition centre, jointly promoted by the Centre and the Kerala government, would be set up in the city, Minister of State for Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution, K V Thomas said here on Sunday.
Speaking after releasing the logo for the Agricultural and horticultural exhibition, 'Haritholsavam 2009' to be held here from August 28 to 31, he said one of the objectives of the exhibition centre was how the agricultural products of Kerala could be taken to other parts of the country.
Kerala was in the forefront among other states in the horticulture sector and the Centre had decided to provide Rs 26 crore for the development of the sector, he said.
Along with the exhibition, a two-day seminar on enhancing agricultural productivity and profitability would also be held on August 29 and 30, he said.
Eminent scientists and academicians from the agricultural sector, including Mangal Rai, Director General, ICAR, will participate in the seminar, he said.