Karnataka farmers urge Modi govt to remove cap on sale of grams

News Network

September 28, 2019

Kalaburagi, Sept 28: Taking serious exception to the cap on quantity set by the Union government for procurement of Greengram and Blackgram, leaders of different farmers organisations on Saturday demanded the removal of cap, enabling growers to sell their entire crop at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 7,050 for green gram and Rs 5,700 for black gram a quintal.

Addressing a press conference here, leaders of the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and the Federation of Cooperative Societies said the restriction on quantity imposed by the Union government was forcing a large section of growers to sell crop in the open market at much lower prices, compared to the MSP.

Maruti Manpade, Leader of Karnataka Pranta Raith Sangh, said the production of green gram cultivated in around 47,000 hectors and black gram raised in 24,000 hectors in the district, was expected to be 3.72 lakh quintals.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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