Category Archives: Business & Economy

Himachal apples grow well in warm south

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Nature

Mangaluru :

Can a temperate fruit like the apple be tamed to grow in the tropics?

That it’s a distinct possibility has been shown by Mandi-based senior fruit scientist Chiranjit Parmar, with help from a few farmers in the state. Though experimentation is still at the trial stage without reaching commercial production, it has opened up new possibilities to challenge the dominance of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh over this fruit.

But what’s interesting is that Himachal apple saplings planted here are in a confused state! While apple trees bear fruit in five or six years in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, they’ve started flowering and bearing fruit within two years of planting, in Bengaluru and Somwarpet in North Kodagu.

In Dakshina Kannada, retired banker Krishna Shetty is still waiting to savour the fruits of his labour. “They’ve started flowering. I should be able to harvest apples next year,” he says. The prolonged monsoon and pest attack here have stopped them from yielding the desired results, he adds. Shetty planted 50 saplings at his farm in Hirebandady, near Uppinangady.

He said the plant can be grown in regions where the temperature ranges between 10 degree Celsius and 30 degree Celsius. “In Indonesia, growers prune leaves and get about 60 tonnes of apples per hectare. In our country, pruning is not done and the yield is limited to 6 tonnes per hectare. After three years, the yield is still limited. I need further guidance from scientists,” he said.

Calistha D’Silva from Abburkatte, Somwarpet, who planted seven trees three years ago, says one of them bore fruit within the second year, and without much care. “If I’d taken care, they may have yielded better results,” he said. “The fruits were small, but tasty. Parmar, who visited my farm, said the trees have achieved tremendous growth, which would take six years in Himachal.” This year, he’s planting eight trees in his garden.

Nagananda K from Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, has three apple trees in his terrace garden. “I’ve planted a few on my farm at Basavanahalli, Ramanagaram. The trees here have shown better results with good care, whereas at my farm, it isn’t so encouraging, probably due to lack of care,” said Nagananda. His trees also bore fruit within two years.

What started this experimentation was Parmar’s visit to Batu, Indonesia, situated almost at the Equator. This area has now acquired the reputation of an apple-producing region. After getting inputs from farmers there about this “horticultural wonder”, Parmar started thinking of the possibilities of repeating this in some parts of South India — where there is no winter season.

Shetty says the absence of winter helps growers here get two crops a year, unlike in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, since there’s no dormancy due to winter.

During his visit to the United Kingdom in 2010, Shetty saw apple trees in house yards. “I started thinking, why not at my home, but couldn’t get much ahead. Then I saw an article on Parmar in Adike Patrike. That started the whole process,” said Shetty.

Shetty gets his supply of plants from Himachal Pradesh, and a consignment of 2,500 saplings of five varieties reached him on Monday. “Earlier, there were takers for about 500 saplings, and the numbers are growing. Unfortunately, those who take saplings don’t give me feedback,” he said.

As of now, in Karnataka, apples are being grown on a trial basis in Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Tumkur, Bengaluru, Tarikere, Vijayapura and Chamarajanagar.

“The experiment has been a success. We’ve sought inputs from the University of Agricultural Sciences, horticulture department, to find out which variety is suitable for commercial cropping. But there’s been no response,” adds Shetty.

With Kodagu, a major coffee growing district, welcoming the entry of apple cultivation, success has been partial in some villages in Somwarpet taluk. Horticulture department senior assistant director Sudheendra Rao told TOI that officially, Kodagu is not an apple zone, but some growers cultivate them out of interest.

TP Sandesh, agricultural standing committee chairman of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat, got a few planted in his farm at Madapur village. As did Shashikala Raj of Masagodu village in Somwarpet. They claim the plants are flowering but the blossoms are falling without yielding fruit. Other small farmers, like Kushalappa of Kamballi village and Puttaraju of Sulimalthe, say the yield is poor.

“If the department takes interest, apples could become a good support crop in Kodagu,” the farmers say.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Mangaluru / by Stanley Pinto, TNN / February 04th, 2015

Kashmiri apples flourish in the warmth of Karnataka

Agriculture, Business & Economy

Mangaluru / Madikeri :

Can a temperate fruit like the apple be tamed to grow in the tropics?

That it’s a distinct possibility has been shown by Mandi-based senior fruit scientist Chiranjit Parmar, with help from a few farmers in the state. Though experimentation is still at the trial stage without reaching commercial production, it has opened up new possibilities to challenge the dominance of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh over this fruit.

But what’s interesting is that Himachal apple saplings planted here are in a confused state! While apple trees bear fruit in five or six years in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, they’ve started flowering and bearing fruit within two years of planting, in Bengaluru and Somwarpet in North Kodagu.

In Dakshina Kannada, retired banker Krishna Shetty is still waiting to savour the fruits of his labour. “They’ve started flowering. I should be able to harvest apples next year,” he says. The prolonged monsoon and pest attack here have stopped them from yielding the desired results, he adds. Shetty planted 50 saplings at his farm in Hirebandady, near Uppinangady.

He said the plant can be grown in regions where the temperature ranges between 10 degree Celsius and 30 degree Celsius. “In Indonesia, growers prune leaves and get about 60 tonnes of apples per hectare. In our country, pruning is not done and the yield is limited to 6 tonnes per hectare. After three years, the yield is still limited. I need further guidance from scientists,” he said.

Calistha D’Silva from Abburkatte, Somwarpet, who planted seven trees three years ago, says one of them bore fruit within the second year, and without much care. “If I’d taken care, they may have yielded better results,” he said. “The fruits were small, but tasty. Parmar, who visited my farm, said the trees have achieved tremendous growth, which would take six years in Himachal.” This year, he’s planting eight trees in his garden.

Nagananda K from Mahalakshmi Layout, Bengaluru, has three apple trees in his terrace garden. “I’ve planted a few on my farm at Basavanahalli, Ramanagaram. The trees here have shown better results with good care, whereas at my farm, it isn’t so encouraging, probably due to lack of care,” said Nagananda. His trees also bore fruit within two years.

What started this experimentation was Parmar’s visit to Batu, Indonesia, situated almost at the Equator. This area has now acquired the reputation of an apple-producing region. After getting inputs from farmers there about this “horticultural wonder”, Parmar started thinking of the possibilities of repeating this in some parts of South India — where there is no winter season.

Shetty says the absence of winter helps growers here get two crops a year, unlike in Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, since there’s no dormancy due to winter.

During his visit to the United Kingdom in 2010, Shetty saw apple trees in house yards. “I started thinking, why not at my home, but couldn’t get much ahead. Then I saw an article on Parmar in Adike Patrike. That started the whole process,” said Shetty.

Shetty gets his supply of plants from Himachal Pradesh, and a consignment of 2,500 saplings of five varieties reached him on Monday. “Earlier, there were takers for about 500 saplings, and the numbers are growing. Unfortunately, those who take saplings don’t give me feedback,” he said.

As of now, in Karnataka, apples are being grown on a trial basis in Dakshina Kannada, Kodagu, Tumkur, Bengaluru, Tarikere, Vijayapura and Chamarajanagar.

“The experiment has been a success. We’ve sought inputs from the University of Agricultural Sciences, horticulture department, to find out which variety is suitable for commercial cropping. But there’s been no response,” adds Shetty.

With Kodagu, a major coffee growing district, welcoming the entry of apple cultivation, success has been partial in some villages in Somwarpet taluk. Horticulture department senior assistant director Sudheendra Rao told TOI that officially, Kodagu is not an apple zone, but some growers cultivate them out of interest.

TP Sandesh, agricultural standing committee chairman of Kodagu Zilla Panchayat, got a few planted in his farm at Madapur village. As did Shashikala Raj of Masagodu village in Somwarpet. They claim the plants are flowering but the blossoms are falling without yielding fruit. Other small farmers, like Kushalappa of Kamballi village and Puttaraju of Sulimalthe, say the yield is poor.

“If the department takes interest, apples could become a good support crop in Kodagu,” the farmers say.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / by Stanley Pinto, TNN / February 04th, 2015

Coffee Board to monetise ‘Coffees of India’ logos

Business & Economy, Coffee News, Records, All

New initiative expected to encourage and promote the Indian brew in overseas markets

Exporters, traders, roasters and curers displaying the ‘Coffees of India’ and the other regional/speciality coffee trademarks on their packages will now have to seek the Coffee Board’s permission to do so and pay a fee for using each logo.

The State-run Coffee Board, which had devised the unique identities/logos and trademarks under the umbrella brand ‘Coffees of India’, has filed for registration of some 19 logos as the Certification of Trademarks.

Issuing certificates
The Registrar of Trademarks, Chennai, has issued the registration certificate for about nine logos including the Robusta Kaapi Royale, Pulneys, Annamalais, Chikmagalur, Coorg and Coffee Swami.

Another set of ten applications for logos such as Mysore Nuggets and Monsooned Malabar are pending registration, though provisional numbers have been issued for the same.

Coffee Board is the sole custodian of the trademark of all logos and those planning to use them on their packets, sacks and publicity material will have to obtain written permission.

Payment details
Exporters or roasters seeking to use the logos will have to apply to the Board in a prescribed format with samples of the beans or instant/roast and ground coffees.

The board has fixed a fee of ₹10,000 for use of each logo and ₹2,500 for every additional logo.

Coffee Board officials said the rationale behind registering the trademarks/logos was to regulate and prevent the misuse. Also, the new initiative is expected to help encourage and promote Indian coffees in overseas markets. However, the trade is divided on the Board’s move to regulate and monetise the logos.“It is good idea.

The logos would enhance the visibility of Indian coffees in the overseas markets,” said Ramesh Rajah, President of the Coffee Exporters Association.

It will also help create awareness among the consumers, Rajah said adding that “the Board should be given a chance.” However, some exporters, who have developed their own brands, do not see major benefits from these trademarks or logos.

Coffee exports
“The logos will help the newcomers the most,” said Ashok Kurian of Balanoor Plantations, who exports under the Balanoor brand.

Coffee exports during January 1-27 were down 32 per cent, provisionally, at 14,672 tonnes against 21,573 tonnes in the corresponding period a year ago.

In 2014, coffee exports stood at 3.01 lakh tonnes valued at ₹4,984 crore or $818 million.

Crop size estimates
The Board, in its latest post monsoon estimates, has pegged the 2014-15 crop size at 3.31 lakh tonnes, a four per cent decline over its post blossom estimate of 3.44 lakh tonnes (lt), primarily due to lower arabica crop that faced a severe pest attack, erratic rainfall and a cyclone.

However, the latest estimates for 2014-15 are 8.7 per cent higher than last year’s final estimate of 3.04 lt. Arabica output for the current season is pegged at 99,600 tonnes, while production of Robusta is expected to 2.31 lt for the 2014-15 season, a decline of 5.6 per cent and 3.28 per cent respectively over the post blossom estimate.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Hom> Agri-Biz / by Vishwanth Kulkarni / Bengaluru – January 29th, 2015

Road works may hit coffee exports from Karnataka

Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

Curbs on movement of containers on two State highways affect delivery to port

Bengaluru :

Curbs on the movement of heavy container traffic on the key State highway connecting Kodagu with Mangaluru port, and the closure of Shiradi Ghat on National Highway 75 for repairs will hamper coffee export consignments in Karnataka, the major coffee producer in the country.

Exporters said containers were stopped from moving on the Mangaluru-Kodagu State highway from Monday by the district administration for repairs. As a result, coffee consignments have to be transported in normal trucks, a move that will increase shipment costs, Ramesh Rajah, President of Coffee Exporters Association, said.

Round about
The Shiradi Ghat on NH-75, which connects Mangaluru with Hassan and also used by exporters in Chikmagalur, has been closed since the beginning of this month for repair and development work.

Most of the green coffee beans from the key growing regions of Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur are normally shipped to the Mangaluru port in containers as it is safe and the quality can be maintained, Rajah said.

Some 22 tonnes of coffee can be transported in a single container from the hinterland to the port. Two lorries with a capacity of 10-12 tonnes are required to transport the same quantity, entailing additional costs.

Karnataka accounts for about two-thirds of the coffee produced in the country and Mangaluru is the major port for coffee shipments.

Rajah said most of the export orders have been booked on free-on-board basis from Mangaluru port and the latest curbs on container movement during the peak exporting season could hurt the realisation for exporters and growers.

He said the Government should look for a solution for regulating the container traffic on the Kushalnagar-Mangaluru road to ease the movement of coffee shipments.

Further, Rajah said the overseas demand for robustas has been good, but the interest for arabicas has been rather subdued due to volatile prices.

Robust outlook
“The order book for the robusta is better than last year, and shipments have been picking up in the past couple of days,” he said. Robusta is currently being harvested across the key growing regions. According to the Coffee Board, provisional exports in the current calendar year (from January 1 to 15) are down at 6,610 tonnes against 8,597 tonnes in the same period a year ago.

Last year, coffee exports stood at 3.01 lakh tonnes valued at ₹4,984 crore ($818 million).

The Board, in its latest post monsoon estimates, has pegged the 2014-15 crop size at 3.31 lakh tonnes, a 4 per cent decline over its early or post blossom estimate of 3.44 lakh tonnes, primarily due to lower arabica crop that faced a severe pest attack, erratic rainfall and a cyclone.

However, the latest estimates for 2014-15 are 8.7 per cent higher than last year’s final estimate of 3.04 lakh tonnes.

Arabica output for the current season is pegged at 99,600 tonnes, while production of Robusta is expected to 2.31 lakh tonnes for the 2014-15 season, a decline of 5.6 per cent and 3.28 per cent respectively over the post blossom estimate.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Hom> Agri-Biz / by Vishwanth Kulkarni / Bengaluru – January 20th, 2015

‘Action plan being prepared to address water woes’

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

District-in-Charge Minister K J George has directed the officials to prepare an action plan for multi village drinking water scheme to supply water to Gonikoppa, Ponnampet in Virajpet and Chettalli in Somwarpet.

Speaking to media persons on Friday, he said that the plan will be chalked out to mitigate drinking water woes.

Tender has been invited for sand extraction, and sand will be available for public use in the next 15 days, he said. Only those government lands with five acres and above encroachments, are being cleared in the district.

Notices issued
Notices are being issued to those parties who have encroached less than five acre of land to ascertain whether they have submitted applications for regularisation of land.

He said that the district administration had been receiving complaints pertaining to unauthorised home stays in the district, and that all the home stay owners should register.

An action plan of Rs 5.4 crore has been prepared for the development of Raja Seat.
Measures will be taken to release funds for the construction of General K S Thimmaiah Memorial and Kalabhavana in the district.

Five acres of land has been identified for the construction of Zilla Panchayat Bhavan on the outskirts of city at Vidyanagara, the minister added.

George added that the Cabinet sub-committee to collect public opinion on Kasturirangan report will visit the district on January 31.

Deputy Commissioner Anurag Tewari, MLC T John and others were present.
DH News Service

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS – Madikeri, January 17th, 2015

German Tool maker Andreas Stihl reaches out to customers to strengthen R&D

Business & Economy, World Opinion
Seen are (from left) Parind Prabhudesai, Managing Director, Andreas STIHL Pvt. Ltd; Norbert Pick, Board Member and Head of Marketing and Sales, Andreas Stihl, Germany; Uday Shankar, Founder, Aqua Services and Ranjit Patil, Marketing Manager, Andreas STIHL Pvt. Ltd., during their visit to Gonikoppal, Kodagu, on Jan. 13.
Seen are (from left) Parind Prabhudesai, Managing Director, Andreas STIHL Pvt. Ltd; Norbert Pick, Board Member and Head of Marketing and Sales, Andreas Stihl, Germany; Uday Shankar, Founder, Aqua Services and Ranjit Patil, Marketing Manager, Andreas STIHL Pvt. Ltd., during their visit to Gonikoppal, Kodagu, on Jan. 13.

Gonikoppal (Kodagu) :

“Stihl is bringing advanced technology to users in India, helping them to be more productive and cost effective. Our products offer state-of-the-art features that help customers be more productive and cost effective,’’ said Norbert Pick, Board Member and Head of Marketing and Sales, Andreas Stihl, Germany, during an interaction with planters and farming fraternity at Kodagu on Jan. 13.

Andreas Stihl is a world leader in chainsaws and other hand-held power tools and Andreas Stihl Pvt. Ltd., is a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of Andreas Stihl, AG & CO KG, Germany.

Stihl is powered with a culture of innovation over the decades that has inspired over 2,000 patents. The products are innovative in design with low weight minimising the burden for user and the environment. A variety of equipment for all purposes come in various power outputs of 1.3 KW to 6.4KW.

Quoting Dr. Nikolas Stihl, Chairman, Advisory Board, on the company’s philosophy on quality, Pick said, “We are excellently positioned with our wide-range of products. We have substantially invested in Research and Development (R&D) with the focus on growth in production and distribution. We are keen on long term and organic worldwide growth.”

“India is a growing priority market for the Andreas Stihl group and we want to develop this market with our varied product offerings. The Indian subsidiary has been growing over 25 per cent consistently for the past five years,” Pick said.

“We at STIHL believe in listening to the market and today’s meet is one such initiative where we will take feedback from the end users to our R&D department for product improvement. India is very important growth market for the STIHL group and management is committed to invest more in terms of presence, service and new products into this market,’’ said Parind Prabhudesai, Managing Director, Andreas STIHL Pvt. Ltd.

Uday Shankar, Founder, Aqua Services, has been dealing with Stihl from 2002 even before the company started its India operations. Speaking about Stihl products, he said the products are extensively used in the region for agriculture, horticulture, plantation, nurseries and landscaping. Aqua Services has dealerships in Gonikoppal and Mysuru.

In India, Stihl offers many outdoor power tools. Among them are chainsaw, pole pruners, brush cutters, clearing saws, mist blower and hedge trimmers.

Many of these products are eligible for government subsidy in Karnataka.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Sunday, January 18th, 2015

Madikeri: Nothing Fishy! Captive-bred Pangasius Set to Find Big Market Share in Kodagu

Business & Economy, Nature

Madikeri:

Pangasius is a genus of medium-large to very large shark catfishes native to freshwater in south and southeast Asia. They breed in all the important east-flowing rivers, from the Ganga to the Cauvery, mainly in their lower reaches.
They are currently being bred captively in cages in KRS reservoir near Mysuru. With a view to introducing the taste to the people of the district, an experimental sale was held on Friday. About 430 kgs were sold by noon. Buyers were seen standing a long queues from 10 am.

The sale was launched by zilla panchayat president Chodumada Shareen Subbaiah. She said that there was a great demand for fish in the district and therefore fish production should get all encouragement.

TMC agriculture and industry standing committee chairpeson T P Sandesh said that it was for the first time that Pangasius was being sold in the district. He suggested that the fish be made available on the various days of the week at different places where the weekly fair was held.

Mysuru region fisheries deputy director Ramakrishna informed that captive aquaculture was being undertaken in the KRS reservoir under the National Mission for Protein Supplements (NMPS). Pangasius and other species were being bred in two rows of 24 cages which have been installed in the reservoir.

Fisheries department joint director Gangadhar V Madikeri said that arrangements would be made to sell Pangasius fish on different days of the week wherever the weekly fair was held.

ZP vice president Allaranda Beena Bollamma, members Biddanda Usha Devamma, taluk panchayat president Kandanda Pratija Achappa, members Sabu Thimmaiah, Bollachattira Suresh, fisheries assistant director Darshan and others were present.

source: http://www.mangalorean.com / Mangalorean.com / Home> Broadcast> Madikeri / by Special Correspondent / Sunday – December 21st, 2014

Greens in Kodagu bat for Kasturirangan report

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Vested interests are creating confusion in the minds of people’

To preserve the greenery in Kodagu, there is a need to implement recommendations of Kasturirangan report on conservation of Western Ghats. If the recommendations are not implemented, then the environment will be at stake, said office bearers of Wildlife First.

Addressing a press meet here on Thursday, K M Chinnappa, A Thammu Poovaiah, T M Somaiah, P M Muthanna and M K Appacchu said that the report will not harm environment and its dwellers. However, a few vested interest, politicians and officials are engaged in creating rumours against the report. It has created fear in the minds of the people.

“Timber mafia, mining lobby and encroachers are engaged in misleading people. Thousands of trees have been felled to facilitate the work on high-tension wire in Virajpet. Will the environment in Kodagu intact if hydel power and railway line projects are implemented,” they asked.

“Those who have opposed the report have not read the report. It is better if people read the report on their own. If we initiate a discussion, then we are projected as pseudo environmentalists and anti-development.”

He lamented at the untoward incident reported during state-level committee’s visit to collect opinion on the recommendations in Madikeri.

The office-bearers said as per the recommendations, only 37 per cent of the Western Ghats have been identified as Specially Economic Areas. There is no problem in taking up development work in the remaining 63 per cent of the area. “ESAs are those areas considered sensitive, less populated, National Park, Reserve forest, project tiger and elephant corridor areas. Only 55 villages in the district have been identified as SEAs and not the entire district,” they said. “There is no proposal to acquire agricultural and coffee estates. There is no restriction on the felling of trees on private land. The land owners can seek permission and fell trees in Kodagu as per the Karnataka Forests Act 1963 and Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act 1976. There is no proposal to check felling of silver, acacia trees grown by the land owners.

They said “the recommendations have not laid down any restrictions on the cultivation of coffee, black pepper, paddy and oranges in Kodagu. It has not laid down restrictions on the construction of houses as well. Commercial activities like coffee, tea processing units, home stays, commercial complex, cement unit, furniture units and tiles manufacturing units are listed in green zones and no restrictions have been laid down on it.”

The recommendation has banned quarry, sand mining, setting up of thermal power projects and construction of more than 20000 square metre building in the identified areas, they added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, December 19th, 2014

Forest department says no to inter-state road

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Kodagu Zone Chief Conservator of Forest Jagmohan Sharma has submitted a report to the State government that permission should not be given to proposed Ezhimal-Bengaluru inter-state road which would pass through Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

The proposed project (Ezhimal- Vellur- Padiyottuchal- Cherupuzha-Pulingome-Talacauvery) would pass through Mundrotu- Talacauvery- Bhagamandala, which is a part of the wildlife sanctuary known for biological diversity.

The officer, in his letter to the government on September 2, has said that the region is part of the Western Ghats, with evergreen forests and grasslands. The road construction, allowing public intervention would adversely affect the wildlife, and the government should reject the proposal of the Kerala government, the letter states.

Madikeri Division Deputy Conservator of Forest Shivashankar also opined the same. The road from Mundrotu to Talacauvery comes under Padinaalku Naadu reserve forest, where there is a rough stretch with a width of 7 to 10 feet.

To convert it as an inter-state road, it should be widened. In many places, new roads will have to be constructed between the mountains. It would impact the wildlife. Also, theft of trees would increase, the DCF has mentioned.

There is an alternative road to the proposed road already between Bhagamandala- Karike- Mundrotu. However, the only problem was that commuters would have to travel 39 km more than the proposed plan. Just to cut the distance, it was not fair to construct an inter-state road, which would cause danger to the ecology, he has opined.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Shivashankar said that the report was submitted by DCF Hanumanthappa to the government before his transfer from the district.
DH News Service

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / by Shrikanta Kallammanavar / Madikeri – DHNS, December 08th, 2014