Agriculture

Control of Pests and crop Disease Agriculture is the single largest sector of India that provides the principal means of livelihood for over 58.4% of country’s population. It contributes approximately one-fifth of the total gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture accounts for about 10% of the total export earnings and provides raw material to a large … Read more

Food laws and regulations Until recently, effectiveness of food control in the Indian domestic market was found to be severely undermined by the existence of multiple jurisdictions, and weaknesses in surveillance, monitoring and enforcement. Several of these food laws were enacted under different ministries in India that had their own rules and orders, which created … Read more

Fertilizers All plants need certain mineral nutrients to survive. These minerals occur naturally in the soil and are taken up from the soil by the roots of the plants. Most soils usually have enough of these minerals to keep plants healthy. However, some nutrients are gradually used up by the plants, or are washed out … Read more

Food bio technology Biotechnology is defined in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity, i.e. “any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use” Biotechnology as applied to food processing in most developing countries makes use of microbial inoculants to enhance properties … Read more

ADMINISTERED PRICES INCLUDING MSP AND PROCUREMENT PRICES Historical context The emergence of agricultural Price Policy in India was in the backdrop of food scarcity and price fluctuations provoked by drought, floods and international prices for exports and imports. This policy in general was directed towards ensuring reasonable food prices for consumers by providing food grains … Read more

Food Processing, and Food Packaging & Marketing Food Processing Industry (FPI) in India is a sunrise sector that has gained prominence in the recent years. Easy availability of raw materials, changing lifestyles and favourable fiscal policies has given a considerable push to the industry’s growth. FPI serves as a vital link between the agriculture and … Read more

Conventional and Non Conventional Sources of Energy Main Sources of Energy: The sources of energy are of following types: Conventional Sources of Energy: These sources of energy are also called non renewable sources. These sources of energy are in limited quantity except hydro-electric power. (a) Coal and Lignite: Coal is the major source of energy. Coal … Read more

Food safety and Microbial standards, Food quality standards Food safety-Indicators of food microbial Quality and safety-Coliforms, Enterococci, Bifidobacteria, Coliphages/Enteroviruses, predictive Microbiology/ Microbial modeling Microbial Standards of Processed and preserved Foods The Center for disease control (CDC) investigates each documented outbreak of food borne disease and attempts to determine not only the specific microorganisms and foods … Read more

Agro Food Processing: Forming village clusters and establishing Food Storage, Food Processing Industry is of enormous significance for India’s development because of the vital linkages and synergies that it promotes between the two pillars of the economy, namely Industry and Agriculture. India is world’s second largest producer of food and has the potential to become … Read more

Importance of Sericulture in India During Pre-independence period Sericulture in India has a remote past dating back to several centuries prior to the commencement of the Christian era. It has been held that mulberry culture came from China to India around 140 B.C. But there have been references to the use of silk in our … Read more