05-05-21 Daily-Odisha-OPSC Current Affairs

With thekharifseason set to begin soon, <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture minister Arun Kumar Sahoo has asked the officials to ensure the availability of adequate seeds and Fertilizers forfarmersin the state.

Officials said the has decided to disburse crop loans worth more than Rs 9,000 crore to support the farmers during the pandemic. More than 20 lakh farmers avail themselves of crop loans inOdishaevery year.

Kharif agricultural activities in Odisha generally start from Akshaya Tritiya, which will fall on May 15. Farmers perform the ceremonial act of sowing seeds in paddy fields on the occasion.

The state government has allowed sowing, nursery and land preparation, Irrigation, planting and harvesting during the lockdown. Distribution, sale and transportation of seeds have also been allowed. As 90% farmers are engaged in paddy cultivation, the field-level officers have been asked to encourage them to take up crop diversification.

While the state government had set a target of producing 96 lakh metric tonne (MT) of foodgrain during last years kharif , it is likely to increase it this time around.

The Ministry of Labour & EMPLOYMENT has informed Section 142 of the Social Security Code, 2020, which addresses Aaadhar’s applicability.

The Ministry will be able to collect Aaadhar information for the Database of beneficiaries under various social security schemes as a result of the section’s notification.

The first supply of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) based Biodiesel blended Diesel under the EOI Scheme was flagged off by Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal in Delhi.

Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that can be made from vegetable oils, animal fats, tallow, and waste cooking oil, and is similar to traditional or “fossil” diesel.

Another benefit of Biodiesel is that it is carbon-neutral, meaning that the oilseed absorbs the same amount of CO2 that is emitted when the fuel is burned in a vehicle.

Biodiesel is also quickly biodegradable and totally non-toxic.