Regular Update
ATM News Network: Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karandlaje inaugurated a workshop of the Asia Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) on measures that can be implemented to eliminate mango pests. The workshop was jointly organised by APPPC and Ministry of Agriculture at Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Representatives of 25 countries participated in this conference both in person and online.
Karandlaje said that such workshops are not only essential for the welfare of farmers in the region but also a symbol of India's growing responsibility in global contribution.
Shobha Karandlaje said that in the last few years India has made unprecedented progress in the field of agriculture. Major agricultural products such as food grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, eggs and fish have increased manifold across the country. Hence, despite population growth, per capita food availability has also increased. India has become one of the major exporters of agricultural products that can supply the world.
With an increase in agricultural exports, the income of farmers is positively affected. In order to benefit farmers from exports, the Central Government has launched the Farmers Connect Portal to provide a platform for farmer producer organizations/companies and cooperatives to interact directly with exporters. This has also provided an important platform for farmers to export their products.
There are hundreds of popular varieties of mango in different parts of our country. From the point of view of mango production as well as export, mango pests and various destructive insects have become a concern for India as well as many other countries. Despite this, the Minister of State for Agriculture noted that it is a matter of satisfaction that India is exporting pest-free and pesticide-free mangoes to many countries.
He proudly mentioned that all this is possible due to the concerted efforts of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, along with state governments, exporters, farmers and other stakeholders, through the implementation of actionable measures to eradicate pests and their proper management.
In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has established the Directorate of Plant Protection, Isolation and Storage, which has developed several national standards and standard operating procedures. Under this, pack houses, centres and various processing facilities for safe packing of fruits have been developed across the country. These facilities include hot water treatment, steam heat treatment and irradiation disinfection, he informed.
The objective of the workshop was to discuss sustainable management of pests and pest control and to reduce the potential risk of chemical pesticides, including providing an opportunity to share experiences.
