Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

AALP Class 14 International Study Tour Mumbai, India - Thursday, February 21, 2013

Rested!  AALP Class 14 finally got to wake up from a full night’s sleep in beds that didn't flutter over land and sea, or wobble down a track.  Feeling refreshed we met with our first guide of the day, a wonderful woman who had worked with Mother Theresa, has a Masters in Social Work and who passionately loves showing visitors around her city of Mumbai. Our tour was a variety of the different religious flavours of the city.  We visited holy places of worship for: Christian, Judaism, Muslim, Jian, Hindu, Parsee, and Buddhism. Another amazing example of the cultures and contrasts of the wide range of lives being liven in Mumbai.  After an Indian buffet lunch, where many in the class reflected on how much they were enjoying and adjusting to the foods, including some wonderful desserts, we headed off with our bus driver seamlessly negotiating the cacophony, commotion and wide variety of vehicles on the city’s streets. Our afternoon visit was to the Monsanto Farm AgVisory Services call centre. We learned about Monsanto's program which has helped over 700,000 Indian farmers with crop issues and knowledge improvement. Their two-pronged approach harnesses the adoption of mobile phone technology to deliver a proactive audio newsletter containing timely crop information, as well as a call in centre where they could work through and give farmers advice on a specific crop problem. 

By the time we returned to the hotel we had all recognized Mumbai as a city of contrasts - from wealth and beauty, to poverty and despair; from goats picking through garbage on the shores of the Arabian Sea to a palm tree lined horse track.  Smells from sewage to spices to marigold garlands. All found side by side and mixed together. 

Steve Palmer, Adam Garniss – AALP Class 14 Bloggers

Views: 693

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by OntAG Admin on February 24, 2013 at 6:08pm

Comment by OntAG Admin on February 24, 2013 at 6:08pm

Comment by OntAG Admin on February 21, 2013 at 2:58pm

Some of the AALP photos at the following link

http://ontag.farms.com/photo

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Tariff tools

Multiple tools are available to help Canadians determine tariff levels and what goods may cost

Premier Ford names new ag minister in cabinet shuffle

Sam Oosterhoff takes over for Trevor Jones

Restoring property rights for Alberta farmers

This fall, Alberta’s government will remove Water Act approval requirements for routine agricultural activities involving ephemeral water bodies and temporary and seasonal wetlands on private cropland. “Farmers should not have to spend thousands of dollars and wait on government approval to carry out routine work on their own land. We are restoring private property rights and getting government out of the way where it doesn’t need to be. These common-sense changes will save farmers time and money and give them greater control over how they manage their own property.” Grant Hunter, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas The changes respond directly to concerns raised by Alberta farmers and agricultural organizations about unnecessary regulatory burden. Under the current system, routine farming activities can trigger regulatory requirements if they affect a temporary or seasonal wetland. In some cases, a farmer may have to hire a qualified wetland professional, complete an assess

Minister MacDonald announces initial list of 2026 Livestock Tax Deferral regions

Canadian producers and ranchers are on the front lines of climate change, and its effects can significantly impact operations. When extreme weather strikes, livestock producers may experience forage shortfalls and need timely information and support to make effective herd management decisions. Today, the Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an initial list of regions that will qualify for Livestock Tax Deferral in 2026 due to extreme conditions. The Livestock Tax Deferral provision allows livestock producers in prescribed areas, who are forced to sell all or part of their breeding herd due to forage shortfalls resulting from drought, excess moisture or flooding, to defer a portion of their income from sales until the following tax year. The income may be at least partially offset by the cost of reacquiring breeding animals, helping to reduce the tax burden of the original sale. Since 2024, regions that are nearby to drought, excess moisture or

Extinguishing the risk of combine fires

It only takes a small spark to potentially turn a productive harvest day into a costly and dangerous situation. That’s why proactive combine maintenance and fire prevention, both before and during harvest, are essential for preventing machinery fires, which can jeopardize land and lives. Think taking a bit of time during harvest to inspect and clean combines creates costly delays? The reality is that skipping routine maintenance could have significantly higher cost implications if a combine fire were to damage crops or equipment or cause physical injuries. Crop residue, heat, and dry conditions that are typically present during harvest can unfortunately create a perfect storm for combine fires. And considering that some combines can hold upwards of 1,500 litres of fuel, combine fires are a significant hazard during the harvest season that should never be overlooked. Fortunately, combine fires are often preventable with proactive maintenance, a safety mindset, and fire awareness. B

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service