Saturday Nov 16, 2024
Saturday Nov 16, 2024
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The eminent panel of speakers consisted of Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Chief Executive Bandula Egodage, Ministry of Finance and Planning Director General – Fiscal Policy Mahinda Siriwardane and Central Institute of Plastics and Engineering Technology (CIPET) Chief Manager S. Illangovan.
Egodage touched on the subject of ‘Building Brand Sri Lanka – Opportunities, Marketing and Support’, whilst Siriwardane elaborated on ‘Exports – the need of the hour’ and Illangovan discussed the topic ‘Standards, Skills, Training and Mentoring – The India Experience’.
As a follow up to the CEO Forum, the PRISL and Enterprising Fairs India will be organsing an International Seminar on Trends and Advancements in the fields of Plastics and Rubber on 5 August at The Kingsbury Colombo. Those who want to register for the seminar are encouraged to register through [email protected] or by calling 0114545687.
On behalf of the organisers Enterprising Fairs India Ltd. Managing Director B. Swaminathan said, “As a catalyst that encourages trade, we are happy to launch two significant expos focussing on Plastics and Rubber, which play an integral part on local export earnings. As a developing nation Sri Lanka is opening up with its economy and infrastructural advantages, there is no better time than this to open up the country and inviting international businesses to experience its riches.”After the success of SRILANKAPLAST – an international exhibition on Plastics, in 2012, Enterprising Fairs India Limited, a B2B Exhibition company from India, once again has collaborated with The Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka (PRISL), to conduct their second edition of SRILANKA PLAST – a Plastics Expo (www.srilankaplast.com) and the first edition of RUBEXPO – a Rubber Expo (www.rubexpo.com) on 14, 15 and 16 August 2014 at BMICH, Colombo. To visit these expos you may pre-register at www.enterprisingfairs.in or send a mail to [email protected].
PlasticultureBy Krish S. Iyengar The increased agricultural productivity, better quality of produce as well as crop diversification are going to be the keys to the country’s success in both, meeting the increasing domestic demand as well as being competitive in the international market. Plasticulture offers a multitude of benefits – water saving, moisture conservation, increase in productivity, improvement in product quality, cultivation in harsh climate, and better preservation of produce. Plasticulture applications at a glance
The key drivers in the plasticulture sector would be drip and sprinkler irrigation, farm pond/reservoir lining films, plastic mulch, greenhouse films, packaging, water conveyance pipes, technical textile products such as shade nets, geo-synthetic films, etc.
However, the scope of growth of plasticulture will not only depend upon availability and affordability but also the awareness of its advantages with enhanced polymer capacity in India.
Benefits of plasticulture applications and polymers used
To provide continued thrust for the development of agri/horti sector in the country, the Ministry of Agriculture and Government of India have launched two flagship missions, viz. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) subsuming interventions under (NHM,HMNEH, NBM, NHB, CDB and CIH) for holistic growth of horticulture sector in consonance with comparative advantage in diverse agro-climatic regions, encourage aggregation of farmers income and strengthen nutritional security, support skill development and create employment generation opportunities for rural youth.
Judicious management of the available water resources is of paramount importance as there is tremendous pressure on the available land for feeding the growing population of the country by harnessing maximum benefits from the cultivable land resources of the country by adopting water saving techniques such as drip and sprinkler irrigation.
To provide focused a approach to this very need the Ministry of Agriculture and GoI have launched National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) which is one of the eight missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). The new restructured NMSA will have a component on On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) which will focus primarily on enhancing water use efficiency by promoting efficient on-farm water management technologies such as drip and sprinkler irrigation.
Presently 6.6 mha is covered under micro irrigation technologies in the country out of the total estimated potential of 69.5 mha (Report of the Task Force Committee on MI, 2004). Looking to the adoption of technology and focused approach under central sector programs an area of 3.6 mha have been brought under micro irrigation during XIth Plan Period (2007-12). An area of 2.9 lakh ha under drip irrigation and 1.6 lakh ha under sprinkler irrigation have been covered during 2013-14.
You can learn more on the subject at an international seminar on trends and advancements in the fields of plastics and rubber on 5 August organised by the Plastics and Rubber Institute of Sri Lanka (PRISL), together with Enterprising Fairs.
(The writer is Executive Director, National Committee on Plastics in Agriculture and Horticulture, Govt. of India.)
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