Category Archives: Green Products

Poop to perfume: The rose crop of Khitoli

March 30, 2015Business & Economy, Green Products, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

Aligarh :

At Khitoli village, Hasayn, Hathras district, mid-March is when the process for extracting rose essence (ruh) begins. The process will go on till the end of April, over a period of 40 days. There is a big rose mandi here. Ask farmers what the secret of the rich aroma of the roses of this region is, and the answer is unanimous – human poop.

The rose of this region is called “Noorjehan” – jewel of the world — after the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir. The air in the village at this time year is laden with the aroma of roses.

Workers are seen plucking roses early in the morning, while dewdrops are still on the buds. They measure the roses, add bunches of them into water to steam in a large copper container called degh to extract ruh. About 250 kg of flowers yield just 40 gm of ruh.

Work on the floriculture crop begins in October each year, with the sowing of seeds.

“The good yield of the rose is because of fertile land – and if you are thinking what makes the soil here especially fertile, it is human poop,” says Mahesh Pal Singh, former pradhan of the village whose father Veer Pal Singh started the work of rose essence extraction some 65 years ago in Khatoli. Veer Pal Singh died at the age of 108 last week.

“The farmer is also a scientist,” Singh says. “He knows what is good, what is not. Most of us avoid cow dung and prefer human poop in our fields as manure. Almost 95% of our villagers don’t have toilets at home. All the men, women and children answer the call of nature in the fields. That is why the produce in the village is far better than what is grown in farms away from human habitation.”

One cannot then help wonder if toilets in village homes is at all a good idea then, in this part of Hathras district.

“The toilets are only part of the big houses here. Just about five village homes here have toilets – the rest go to the field. That is what is best, not just for the rose crop, but also for potatoes. We need bijli (electricity) and sadak (roads) rather more urgently that toilets. It would save us the bother of going out of the way to transport our produce,” farmer Bahadur Singh says.

“And what when every house has a toilet?”

“There will be no roses then,” the farmer says, with quiet conviction.

The essence extracted from the rose is later used in tobacco, perfume and soap manufacturing.

Horticulture officer Kaushal Kumar of Aligarh says, “Yes, there is truth to the belief that human excrement is good manure – there is a good quantity of micro-nutrients in excrement, as well as nitrogen, potassium and potash. But for the sake of hygiene, it should first be treated well.”

It is human poop that also breeds earthworms, farmers say. “They make the land fertile, dig the ground and make soil breathe,” Bahadur Singh says.

Kaushal, however, said it was not as if there was a direct link between foul-smelling human excrement and sweet-smelling roses: “The excrement makes the land fertile and aids in growth. Without it, some nutrients would be lost to the soil. Even the farmers are aware that the transition is no direct one, he says.

Besides poop and earthworms, the rose crop also needs moisture-laden easterly winds at the beginning of the growing season – rain in that time could damage the crop, farmers say.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Agra / by Eram Agha, TNN / March 29th, 2015

Kayaking team goes on eco-drive in Gulf of Mannar

March 30, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Sports, Travel & Tourismmpositiveone@gmail.com

Tuticorin :

A five-member team, including a woman, that has been paddling their fibre kayaks for six days on the scenic Gulf of Mannar Sea completed their expedition here on Sunday, doing so with the satisfaction that they have been able to educate at least some coastal communities on the need to keep beaches free of pollution and littering.

Jehan Driver, Arjun Motha, Rizwan Gani, John Suganth and Charmine Pereira from Quest Expeditions and Aqua Outback had set off from Kuntakal near Rameswaram in Ramanathapuram district on Tuesday, flagged off by Ramanathapuram district collector, K Nandakumar. They were received here by Coastal Security Group (Marine Police). The team paddled for 49km a day and camped in some beach at night. “We stopped at coastal villages and talked with local people. We told them how important it was to keep their coastal environment clean and protect their resources for sustained living,” said Rizwan Gani. Jehan Driver, who led the team, explained that the objective of the expedition was to create awareness about the vast natural reserves Tamil Nadu has to offer and the sustainable practices that will keep it pristine. The expedition also aimed to promote Kayaking as a sport and let people know the importance of preserving the natural environment of the marine biosphere to encourage other sportsmen and sportswomen to practice and enjoy their non-motorised sports.

“Gulf of Mannar is a marine eco-system in the country that has remained clean till now and it should be protected. We could share this message among the people we met in the coast during our paddling. We collected more information on the beaches, besides watching pristine islets to check if there are any poaching activities. We could see that marine life is still flourishing in the region and we should protect them together,” Driver said. The team also expressed their concern about untreated sewage mixing in Gulf of Mannar waters. Based on their findings, they will prepare a report which they will submit to concerned government agencies, they said. Government agencies like Indian Coast Guard and Coastal Security Group and additional director general of police, C Sylendra Babu were of great help, they said. Having succeeded in their first venture, they plan to turn this into an annual event to keep the tradition alive.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / March 30th, 2015

No monkeying around with history

March 30, 2015Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Travel & Tourismmpositiveone@gmail.com

The historical banyan tree inside the Bidar fort.

Campaign by Team Yuva saves a huge old banyan tree from the axe at Bidar fort

Campaigns to save trees are aplenty, but the one taken up by a group of youngsters in Bidar is unique because it is linked to history and a particularly quirky detail of history at that. At the centre of a campaign by Team Yuva is a banyan tree inside the Bidar fort, in front of the Rangeen Mahal. The Archaeological Survey of India (AIS) is rethinking its proposal to cut the tree thanks to this campaign.

The historical importance of the tree dates back to the time of Nawab Nasir Ud Daula Bahadur, the Governor of Bidar appointed by the Hyderabad Nizam. He had created a “department of monkeys” and appointed “monkey inspectors” (Daroga-E-Bandaran). They were supposed to keep a count of the langurs and feed them. Every day at noon, the guards fed the monkeys rotis, fruits and jaggery. This unusual ritual often happened under this tree, says Ghulam Yazdani in the book ‘Bidar: Its History and Monuments’.

The grants given by the Nizam for this purpose, started in early 19th century, continued till Independence.

“Losing the tree is like losing a part of our heritage. We have petitioned the State government, district administration and the ASI,” said Vinay Malge, secretary of Team Yuva. The team has asked ASI to include the tree in their landscaping plans.

Mouneshwar Kuruvatti, Conservation Assistant of ASI at Bidar, said they had asked the Forest Department to assess the health of the tree as it was old and could fall on tourists. “We will take steps to preserve the tree, after consultation,” he said.

Deputy Conservator of Forests S. Dhananjay said the ASI had earlier submitted a requisition to cut down the tree.

“However, we will assess the condition of the tree to see if it poses danger to passersby or nearby buildings. If it can be saved by pruning or by supporting, we will take those steps,” he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Rishikesh Bahadur Desai / Bidar – March 30th, 2015

From Bean to Cup

March 12, 2015Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Leaders, World Opinionmpositiveone@gmail.com

The Coffee Board of India serves as the friend, philosopher and guide to the coffee sector in the country covering the entire value chain

The saga of Indian coffee began on a humble note, with planting of ‘Seven seeds’ of ‘Mocha’ during 1600 AD by the legendary holy saint Baba Budan, in the courtyard of his hermitage on ‘Baba Budan Giris’ in Karnataka. For quite a considerable period, the plants remained as a garden curiosity and spread slowly as back yard plantings. It was during 18th century that the commercial plantations of coffee were started, thanks to the success of British entrepreneurs in conquering the hostile forest terrain in south India. Since then, Indian coffee industry has made rapid strides and earned a distinct identity in the coffee map of the world.

The Coffee Board

During 1940s, the coffee industry in India was in a desperate state due to the World War II resulting in very low prices and ravages of pests and diseases. At this time, the Government of India established the Coffee Board through a constitutional act – Coffee Act VII of 1942 – under the administrative control of the ministry of commerce and industry. The Board comprises 33 members including the chairman, who is the chief executive and appointed by the Government of India. The remaining 32 members represent the various interests such as coffee growing industry, coffee trade interests, curing establishments, interests of labour and consumers, representatives of governments of the principal coffee growing states and members of Parliament.

After pooling was discontinued in 1996, Coffee Board serves as the friend, philosopher and guide to the coffee sector covering the entire value chain. The core activities are primarily directed towards research & development, transfer of technology, quality improvement, extending development support to growing sector, promotion of coffee in export and domestic markets. The activities of the Board are broadly aimed at (i) enhancement of production, productivity and quality; (ii) export promotion for achieving higher value returns for Indian coffee and (iii) supporting development of the domestic market.

Research and Export Promotion

Organised research in coffee was initiated during 1925 by the erstwhile Mysore Government by setting up the Mysore Coffee Experiment Station near Balehonnur in Chikmagalur district. After formation of the Coffee Board, the research station was brought under its administrative control. Presently the Research Department of the Board with its headquarters at the Central Coffee Research Institute and five regional stations has a sanctioned strength of 113 scientific personnel and is involved in development of improved varieties with tolerance to major pests and diseases and standardisation of technology for improving production, productivity and quality.

After liberalisation in 1996, the marketing functions were deregulated. The Coffee Board plays the role of facilitator and promoter of Indian coffee exports. However, registration of exporters is the responsibility of the Coffee Board. Under the Export Promotion scheme, exports of value added coffees in retail packs and export of coffee to high value far-off destinations are incentivised to offset the transaction costs to some extent and enable the Indian exporters to be competitive in the export market. These incentives provide opportunities to expand the footprint of Indian Coffee in higher value destinations like USA, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc on one hand and reinforcing presence in traditional markets i.e., European Union/ Russia and CIS etc.

Besides, the Board regularly participates in leading coffee trade shows/ exhibitions held in major consuming countries to promote awareness about quality of Indian coffee to the overseas roasters, traders and consumers. The Board also conducts Flavour of India – The Fine Cup competitions to select fine coffees and expose them to the export market. It also promotes coffee consumption in the country through 12 India Coffee Houses located in major cities across the country.

In India, coffee is traditionally grown in the Western Ghats spread over Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Coffee cultivation is also being expanding rapidly in the nontraditional areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as well as in the North East states. Coffee is predominantly an export oriented commodity and 65 per cent to 70per cent of coffee produced in the country is exported while the rest is consumed within the country. Indian coffee industry earns a foreign exchange to the tune of about Rs 4000 crore. In the international market, Indian coffees earn a high premium, particularly Indian Robusta which is highly preferred for its good blending quality. Arabica Coffee from India is also well received in the international market.

Arabica is a mild coffee, but the beans being more aromatic, it has higher market value compared to Robusta beans. On the other hand Robusta has more strength and is, therefore, used in making various blends. India is the only country that grows all of its coffee under shade. Typically mild and not too acidic, these coffees possess an exotic full-bodied taste and a fine aroma.

India cultivates all of its coffee under a well-defined two-tier mixed shade canopy, comprising evergreen leguminous trees. Nearly 50 different types of shade trees are found in coffee plantations. Shade trees prevent soil erosion on a sloping terrain; they enrich the soil by recycling nutrients from deeper layers, protect the coffee plant from seasonal fluctuations in temperature, and play host to diverse flora and fauna.

Coffee plantations in India are essential spice worlds too: a wide variety of spices and fruit crops like pepper, cardamom, vanilla, orange and banana grow alongside coffee plants.

Training courses in coffee culture and management

The Central Coffee Research Institute, popularly known as CCRI, has grown as an internationally recognised, state-of-the-art research centre for carrying out research on all aspects of coffee cultivation. CCRI is committed to introducing emerging technologies and sustainable package of practices to benefit the coffee farmers. It plays an important role in the development and growth of the coffee agricultural sector. CCRI has 133 dedicated scientists working for the development of newer technologies in close association with a number of international institutes, reputed national institutes and pure science and agricultural universities.

The CCRI, apart from the development of new technologies, is involved in imparting training on scientific coffee cultivation to the benefit of all the stakeholders since 1953. The institute is recognised as an international centre of excellence for training in coffee culture by the FAO, Rome. Candidates from several coffee growing countries are being sponsored for these training programmers by the world organisations like UNDP, FAO or by their respective countries.

CHART

Coffee regions of India

Anamalais (Tamil Nadu): Wildlife sanctuaries in this region are the abode of spotted leopards,while the plantations are home to fine, high-grown Arabicas, including the exotic Kents.

Araku valley (Andhra Pradesh): Home to colourful parrots, it is not unusual to see a flock of chattering red and green birds, darting through trees in this scenic valley.

Bababudangiris (Karnataka): Bababudan brought seven ‘magical’ beans from Yemen and planted them in the lofty hills of this region. Deer is often spotted, grazing alongside plantations abundant with full-bodied Arabicas.

Biligiris (Karnataka/Tamil Nadu): Besides full-bodied Arabicas, this region is noted for the sambar – the largest Indian deer with huge antlers.

Brahmaputra: The mighty Brahmaputra which flows through the North Eastern states is the lifeline of this region which is home to the one-horned rhinoceros. This sturdy animal is found in large numbers at the Kaziranga National Park in eastern Assam.

Chikmagalur (Karnataka): Chikmagalur’s forests and wildlife sanctuaries are abundant with beautiful peacocks, India’s national bird. The peacock loves to show off its colourful feathers, especially during its elaborate courtship dance.

Coorg (Karnataka): Lush coffee plantations are bustling with honeybees which yield the delicious Coorg Honey, collected by nimble-footed tribals

Manjarabad (Karnataka): Gentle sloping terrain with small streams and coffee plants provide a natural habitat for the jungle fowl. This yellow-headed bird with a red comb and multi-coloured plumage is generally seen in pairs, close to the coffee plantations.

Nilgiris (Tamil Nadu): The plantations are home to fine, high-grown Arabicas, including the exotic Kents.

Pulneys (Tamil Nadu): A well-known feature of this region is the bright, bluebell-like Kurinji flower that makes a dramatic appearance, once in 12 years. The high-grown Arabicas however, are a predominant sight, year after year.

Sheveroys (Tamil Nadu): The magnificent Gaur or Indian bison is an embodiment of vigour and strength, much like the boldsized Arabicas grown here. This massive animal with its huge head and sturdy limbs grazes on the lower hill tracts of this picturesque region.

Travancore (Kerala): The national flower of India, the lotus symbolises purity and beauty. These bright, fragrant flowers with floating leaves and long stems, grow in shallow waters in this region noted for its Arabicas and Robustas.

Wayanad (Kerala): Wayanad is home to the Indian tiger, India’s national animal – a symbol of valour and courage.

source: http://www.financialexpress.com / Financial Express / Food & Hospitality World / Home> Cover Story / March 05th, 2015

Cultivating organic spices in the backyard

March 5, 2015Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Productsmpositiveone@gmail.com

An expert demonstrates how to prepare organic fertilizers during a training programme organised by the National Horticulture Mission on the CWRDM campus at Kunnamangalam in the city. / The Hindu

Along with vegetables, spices also need to be cultivated organically, say experts.

Spreading awareness among people about the importance of producing toxin-free spices through organic cultivation was the main thrust of a training programme in homestead water management and organic spice cultivation organised by the National Horticulture Mission in collaboration with the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) on its campus at Kunnamangalam here.

Around 60 housewives, who are members of the farmers club aided by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), participated in the two-day training programme, which was inaugurated by the Kunnamangalam MLA P.T.A. Raheem on Monday.

Water resources

In various sessions, scientists as well as experts from the centre and the Agricultural Department spoke on how to go about managing the available water resources in a common household for the cultivation of essential spices including ginger, turmeric and pepper.

E. Abdul Hameed, Technical officer of CWRDM, talked about the things to be done while cultivating spices in the backyard.

While CWRDM scientist Dinesh Kumar spoke about the role of spices in the protection of health, K.R Prasannakumar, another expert from the centre, spoke on the role of soil fertility and use of organic fertilizers for spices cultivation.

P. Vikraman, former Principal Agricultural Officer, demonstrated on how to prepare organic fertilizers and pesticides.

The scientists also clarified various doubts raised by the participants during the programme.

One kg of ginger and turmeric rhizomes each as well as five saplings of pepper were distributed free to the participants at the end of the session. CWRDM executive director N.B. Narasimha Prasad presided over the function. CWRDM Training Education and Extension Division (TEED) head Kamalam Joseph and NABARD District Development manager K.P. Padmakumar among others spoke. Details about organic spices cultivation can be had from the organisers. Ph: 9447276177.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kozhikode / by Jabir Musthari / Kozhikode – March 04th, 2015

ANU botany professor pens a treatise on flora of Guntur

February 25, 2015Education, Green Productsmpositiveone@gmail.com

Senior Professor of Botony P. R. Mohana Rao shares excerpts from his book ``Flora of Guntur City Andhra Pradesh," in Guntur. Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar / The Hindu — Senior Professor of Botony P. R. Mohana Rao shares excerpts from his book “Flora of Guntur City Andhra Pradesh,” in Guntur. Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar / The Hindu

A former professor of Botany from Acharya Nagarjuna University has brought out an exhaustive treatise on the wealth of flora in Guntur City. The book, “Flora of Guntur City Andhra Pradesh,’’ a brain child of P.R. Mohana Rao, Professor Emeritus and former HoD, Department of Botony, Acharya Nagarjuna University, is considered the only available and authentic work throwing light on the numerous species of plants and trees in the city.

Dr. Rao was assisted by Assistant Professor of Botony, ANU, S.K. Khasim and former research student Bibi Aasiya, who are the co-authors of the book published by Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh from Dehra Dun.

Dr. Rao had a rich global experience working in University of Cambridge, Delhi University, Himachal Pradesh University before settling at the ANU. He founded the Bio Technology Centre and started M.Sc (Biotechnology) course.

His association with the renowned systematic Botanist Professor late Olov Hedberg at Uppasala University, Sweden, during 1982-83 inspired him to take up the seminal work.

“The book has up-to-date information on flora which will help students, naturalists, tourists and town planners in identifying plants,’’ Professor Rammohana Rao told The Hindu on Tuesday.

The book listed 431 flowering plants, shrubs and trees belonging to 76 families of angiosperms. The families were arranged systematically following Bentham and Hooker System of Classification. The authors besides giving current nomenclature to families, genera and species, also gave original citation and a brief description of species, local names, flowering and dispersal mechanisms. A city map is also incorporated in the book.

It was late Rev.Dr.Uhl, former principal of Lutheran Mission College, Guntur who attempted a book on Flora of Guntur in 1930 but it could not be considered a complete work as Dr.Uhl had not followed any system of classification.

Dr. Rao’s work is based on three years of intensive research during 1990-1993. Leading a team consisting of Dr. Khasim, Aasiya and other students, Dr. Rao began an arduous task of collection of plants from fields, road margins, railway tracks, parks, gardens etc. Field observations included studying habit, habitat, time of flowering and fruiting.

Dr. Rao had also penned a note on the selection of plants for road margins, public parks useful to town planners. Some of the recommended trees included, Adansonia digitata (Baobab tree), Albizia lebbeck and Delonix regia (Gold Mohur) for gardens and parks etc.

“Most of the roads in the city are devoid of tree cover. Unfortunately, the city is lacking in public parks and green spaces. With the town gaining importance due to proximity to capital region, town planners could take a cue from the book on tree planting,’’ Dr. Rao added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Samuel Jonathan / Guntur – February 24th, 2015

Two Brothers Wanting Power For Their Farms Invented A Bamboo Windmill That Is 10 Times Cheaper!

January 17, 2015Business & Economy, Community Involvement / Social Issues, Green Products, Science & Technologympositiveone@gmail.com

Brothers Mohammad Methar Hussain and Mushtaq Ahmad wanted power for irrigation and they developed a low cost windmill made out of bamboo, which is more than 10 times cheaper than the regular ones available in the market. Now, there are more than 25 such windmills running in Gujarat. Read to know more about their journey and how they did it.

Mohammad Methar Hussain and his brother Mushtaq Ahmad from Darrang district in Assam grew paddy in the winter season (also known as bodo paddy). Irrigation involved a lot of manual effort and using diesel sets for pumping water was a huge drain on the resources. To tackle this issue, Mehtra thought that if they could run a large wheel on wind power, and connect the wheel to the hand pump, that would serve their purpose quite efficiently.

So, both of them started working on making a windmill unit from locally sourced materials such as bamboo wood, strips of old tyres, pieces of iron, etc. With the help of a carpenter, the first prototype was ready in four days. Since the supporting framework was composed of bamboo, the final product costed Rs. 4500, vis-a-vis the commercially available wind mills which cost over Rs. 60,000.

Innovation Diffusion : Assam —> Gujarat

India is the third largest salt producing country in the world with an average annual production of about 157 lakh tonnes. The Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) supplies 21% of the total salt production of India.

Salt workers, known as Agarias, are some of the poorest people in the state. Agarias mostly used counterpoise, a method that requires two people, one for lowering the counterpoise and other for straining the water. Some of them started using diesel pumps, but the exorbitant machine and fuel costs made a huge dent in their already diminishing returns from salt farming.

With the mission to improve lives of salt farmers, Gujarat Grassroots Innovation Augmentation Network – West (GIAN W) along with National Innovation Foundation (NIF-India) took the lead in diffusing the innovation in salt farming areas.

Based on the feedback received from salt farmers, GIAN W improved the design and developed a multi-dimensional model which was installed at LRK in 2008. Understanding the diverse needs of farmers to increase the efficiency of windmills, GIAN W joined hands with Alstom foundation for design modification and improvement.

As of 2012, 25 of these windmills have been installed in Kathivadar and Kadiali villages in Amreli district.

Low cost windmill has solved irrigation problems for the village

Benefits of the Windmill Pump

Thanks to the windmill pump, now salt farmers don’t have to slog for hours with the water pump. The windmill pump saves about Rs.50,000 worth of diesel in six months. It has decreased salt farmers’ reliance on manual labour resulting in savings of about Rs. 28,000 per season per person. Farmers can now easily recover their investments within the harvesting season.

The innovation would also result in the reduction of five tonnes of carbon emissions for every 100 tonnes of salt produced. As per NIF, on an average, every windmill-powered hand pump should generate five Carbon Emission Reductions (CERs) certificates worth Rs.3750.

Every rupee saved and milligram of carbon emission reduced is a glaring testimony of how rural innovations impact the community, society and the world at large.

In the next phase, GIAN W plans to erect more windmills in other parts of Gujarat. The salt farmers of Gujarat are indebted to Mehtar and Mustaq for making their lives more efficient and their occupation, profitable.

For any enquiries related to the machine, please get in touch with NIF-India at bd@nifindia.org.

source: http://www.thebetterindia.com / The Better India / Home> Innovation> Gujarat / by Rahul Anand / July 24th, 2014

Counting sheep, literally

December 14, 2014Amazing Feats, Business & Economy, Green Products, Leadersmpositiveone@gmail.com

A farmer tending to the ‘Nari-Suvarna’ breed of sheep at Veerapura in Tumakuru district of Karnataka.

Sheep farmers in Tumakuru have agri-scientists in Maharashtra to thank for a breed that has, quite literally, doubled their profits.

The new breed, developed by scientists at Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute, Phaltan, called ‘Nari-Suvarna’ has turned out to be a boon for farmers. While the local breed of sheep gives birth to one lamb at a time, the new breed gives birth to two or three.

Cost of the sheep

The State government is trying to promote the Nari-Suvarna breed. It plans to offer subsidy to purchase the sheep, which costs Rs. 8,000 each, in the future. The local breed in Tumakuru —both Hassan and Bellary breeds — cost Rs. 6,000 per sheep.

With the guidance of the Karnataka Sheep and Wool Development Corporation (KSWDC), a farmer in Sira taluk in Tumakuru district has bought 10 sheep and they have given birth to 23 lambs. Farmers at Sidlaghatta in Chickballapur district and Chitradurga district are now eager to follow suit.

The new breed, according to the Agriculture Department, is a combination of three Indian breeds – Deccani and Madgyal breeds of Karnataka and Garole of West Bengal.

Doddaraju of Veerapura in Sira taluk, who bought the 10 sheep, told The Hindu that people in his village were making advance payments for Nari-Suvarna sheep. He said the sheep had adjusted to the climate and environment of his village and could be reared along with the local breed.

Mirza Basheer, Assistant Director, KSWDC, Tumakuru, said the new breed would help meet the demand for meat and would be beneficial to farmers. Nagaraja G.M., Assistant Director, Special Livestock Breeding Programme, Tumakuru, said the government would identify farmers in Belagavi, Vijayapura and Kolar districts and would introduce them to the new breed.

Scientists have developed a new breed of sheep, Nari-Suvarna, that gives birth to two or three lambs at a time

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by S. Bhuvaneshwari / Tumakuru – December 14th, 2014