2022 could be seen by historians in the future as a turning point in history, marking the end of one era and the start of another. Yes, we’ve had both good and bad news. But India has mostly received positive news during the last twelve months, primarily in the area of agriculture. We also can’t ignore the impact of inflation and climate change across the globe.
You might want to carefully read what comes next. Many of these stories will go on into 2023 and beyond.
Mithila Makhana Gets GI Tagged
Earlier this year in the month of August, Mithila Makhana was awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. It is expected that this move will help growers get the maximum price for their premium produce. A special type of aquatic fox nut called Mithila Makhana or Makhan is grown in the Mithila area of Bihar and Nepal.
Mithila Makhana is an incredibly healthy and delicious snack. According to reports, these fox nuts are high in protein and fiber. Additionally, it contains micronutrients including magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, and iron. You can now include this GI-tagged snack on your diet plan.
Ministry Approves Drone-Based Spraying of Pesticides
An interim two-year approval for drone-based spraying of nearly all pesticides authorized for use in India was issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. The country released a standard operating procedure (SOP) concerning the use of drones for the application of pesticides in agriculture, forestry, and non-cropped regions late last year. The decision was announced through a memo. The order is now in force as of April 18, 2022.
The pesticides approved for drone-based spraying include fungicides, insecticides, biopesticides, plant growth regulators (PGRs), and botanical pesticides. The list contains both combination products and 479 formulations with only one active component.
World Population Crosses 8 billion Mark
On November 15, the world population crossed the milestone of 8 billion. In 48 years, the world's population has doubled from 4 billion to 8 billion. India is predicted to surpass China next year to become the country with the highest population (currently at 1.417 billion compared to China's 1.426 billion). United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Brazil are the next five most populated countries; however, they together have fewer people than both China and India.
Inflation Returns
The good old days weren't always that nice. One example is the second half of the 1970s. Anyone who lived through those years can relate to what it was like to watch their paychecks get eaten up by inflation.
The world has seen minimal inflation during the last four decades. In fact, for a while, analysts' biggest concern was that inflation rates had dropped too low and might trigger a catastrophic deflationary cycle. Although that danger was prevented, world inflation increased in 2022. Issues with supply and demand combined cause the prices to increase.
In terms of demand, years of loose monetary policy along with a wave of government expenditure to avert a financial crisis during the COVID pandemic increased consumer spending. On the supply side, COVID and then Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted international supply chains and led to shortages in a variety of products. Politics in both rich and developing nations have been strained as a result of rising costs as authorities try to appease the outraged public.
Mega-Launch of the Nation’s First-Ever Agriculture Journalist Association of India (AJAI)
The agriculture sector of India witnessed another milestone by launching the first-ever Agriculture Journalist Association of India(AJAI) where the logo was virtually revealed by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala and the website was launched by Lena Johansson from the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).
AJAI is a national organization founded by M.C. Dominic who works as its President. It aims to advance the highest standards among agriculture journalists, including authors, communicators, and photographers who specialize in farming, dairying, horticulture, fisheries, floriculture, food production, or, more broadly, anything associated with the agricultural industry.
The organization aims to unite the agriculture business by organizing conferences, presentations, workshops, and events for its members as well as giving them the chance to network with eminent personalities.
Climate Change Increases
When scientists first foresaw a potential climate disaster forty years ago, it was a future issue. The year 2022 showed that this dangerous future had already arrived. Extreme weather conditions that were once unusual became frequent. Record heat waves in Europe destroyed forests and dried out rivers. A similarly severe heat wave hit Pakistan, which was then followed by tremendous monsoon rains that submerged up to one-third of the nation. Many such disastrous climate changes were witnessed across the globe.
This year was a disastrous one if you happened to live in the epicenter of the climate problems.
Regenerative Agriculture to Stop Soil Degradation
Though much was done this year on this issue, more investments are expected to happen in soil conversation and biodiversity in the coming year. The foundation of productive agriculture is healthy soil. To stop soil degradation and preserve and improve soil health, much more work must be done on this front.
Agrochemical companies, policymakers, technology players, and MGOs are coming all together to work with new initiatives and investments for reducing soil degradation.
Digitalization of Agriculture
India is constantly trying to develop and implement rules that will increase the sustainability of its agriculture sector. The Indian government is implementing various policies and programs to achieve objectives like doubling farmers' income and achieving sustainable growth.
According to research from the NITI Aayog, AI in agriculture would be valued at $2.6 billion by 2025 and grow at a rate of 22.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Currently, AI helps farmers in selecting better crops, hybrid seeds, and resource-efficient agricultural practices, which helps them enhance production. It is also used to increase farming accuracy and productivity to help farmers build seasonal forecasting models.
