The 1 million-square-mile Tibetan Plateau — often called the “roof of the world” — is the highest landmass in the world, averaging 14,000 feet in altitude. Despite the extreme environment, humans have been permanent inhabitants there since prehistoric times.   Farming and herding play major roles in the economy of the Tibetan Plateau today — as they have throughout history. To make the most of a difficult environment, farmers, agropastoralists and mobile herders interact and move in conjunction with one another, which in turn shapes the overall economy and cultural geography of the plateau.     A new study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Sichuan University in China, published Feb. 2 inScientific Reports, traces the roots of the longstanding cultural interactions across the Tibetan Plateau to prehistoric times, as early as the Bronze Age.     The researchers used advanced geospatial modeling to compare environmental and archaeological evidence that connects ancient mobility and subsistence strategies to cultural connections forged among farmers and herders in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Their findings show that these strategies influenced the settlement pattern and the transfer of ceramic styles — such as the materials used, characteristics and decorative features of the pottery — among distant prehistoric communities across the plateau.   The research was an enormous undertaking made possible thanks to advances in geospatial data analysis and high-resolution remote sensing, according to Michael Frachetti, a professor of archaeology in Arts & Sciences at WashU and corresponding author of the study. First, the researchers generated simulations of the optimal pathways of mobility used by prehistoric farmers and herders based on land cover and capacity of the environment to support the needs of their crops or herds. For example, highland herders typically move across zones with rich grass resources toward the more limited arable niches on the plateau. Repeated patterns emerging from these simulations were shown to statistically correlate with the geographic location of thousands of prehistoric sites across the Tibetan Plateau.   To test how these routes may have affected social interaction, the team compiled a large database of published archaeological findings from Bronze and Iron Age sites throughout Tibet and generated a social network based on shared technologies and designs of the ceramics found in these sites. The resulting social network suggests that even distant sites were well connected and in communication thousands of years ago across the Tibetan landmass.  “When we overlay the mobility maps with the social network, we see a strong correlation between routes for subsistence-oriented mobility and strong ties in material culture between regional communities, suggesting the emergence of ‘mobility highways’ over centuries of use,” Frachetti said. “This not only tells us that people were moving according to needs for farming and herding — which was largely influenced by environmental potential — but that mobility was key for building social relationships and the regional character of ancient communities on the Tibetan Plateau.”    Their findings also revealed an interesting caveat: The western part of Tibet did not match these patterns as well as the east. According to the authors, this suggests an alternative cultural orientation toward Central Asia, where similar mobility patterns connected prehistoric communities to the west. These east/west differences have been observed in other archaeological studies, they said.   “Archaeologists have been seeking to understand how and why ancient human communities build social relationships and cultural identities across the extreme terrain in Tibet for decades,” said lead author Xinzhou Chen, who earned his doctorate from WashU in 2023 and now works at the Center for Archaeological Sciences at Sichuan University. “This research provides a new perspective to explore the formation of human social cohesion in archaeology.”   Source: Eurasia Review

Farmers are demanding that Germany's government drop plans to cut agricultural subsidies. Major traffic disruptions are expected in parts of the country due to the demonstrations. Dozens of farmers on Sunday arrived in Berlin ahead of demonstrations against government plans to reduce subsidies. The convoy reached the iconic Brandenburg Gate at 5:30 pm local time (1530 UTC), according to the local Berliner Zeitung daily. A candlelight vigil is scheduled for 11 p.m. What are the farmers' protests about? Farmers are demonstrating against plans by Germany's government under Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the suspension of agricultural subsidies. The governing coalition is made up of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP). On Thursday, the government announced that it would walk back some of the planned cuts to subsidies, which the German Farmers' Association (DBV) considers to be an insufficient measure. On Friday, a spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry warned that anti-state and far-right elements could attempt to instrumentalize the protests for their own interests. Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP urged farmers to "turn around," adding that agriculture was a "highly-subsidized sector," according to der Spiegel. The conservative opposition coalition CDU/CSU, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the right-wing populist Free Voters have expressed their support for the farmers' protests. Traffic disruptions expected in various parts of the country The Strasse des 17. Juni, a major thoroughfare that connects central Berlin and the western suburbs, has been closed to traffic ahead of the protests. Major transport disruptions are expected on Monday due to the demonstrations. The eastern state of Brandenburg's Transport Ministry voiced fears that there could be disruptions in the delivery of goods, according to Berliner Zeitung. To reduce the probability of disruptions, the state exempted January 7 from a driving ban for trucks that applies on all Sundays and public holidays. Authorities in the northern city-state of Hamburg warned of the possibility of traffic chaos as farmers from the state of Schleswig-Holstein are to arrive for a rally in the city.

After weeks of rain and flooding, a dry spell and frost are welcome, but the problems are not over yet. And it seems unlikely that the already squeezed government budget will be able to help. The German Weather Service (DWD) announced the arrival of frost in the north of the country on Saturday as large areas of land remain covered in flood water. While the below-freezing temperatures are expected to help the overloaded dykes hold back the water, experts have warned of the long-term impacts. For already-flooded houses, in particular, standing water freezing and expanding can seriously exacerbate damage. Frost to protect the dykes Whether the frost has a positive or negative effect depends on the individual case, Anne Rickmeyer, director of the Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN), told the German press agency DPA. Frost can firm up the dyke, making it more stable and impermeable to water accumulation. However, in many places, the water level is still too high and water is pressing against the dykes. "If relatively warm water is already behind the dyke, then the part of the dyke under the water level won't be able to freeze" meaning that the frost will have no positive effect, Rickmeyer said.   Longer-term problems A further problem, especially for the farmers who have already been battling weeks of high water, is that the flooding prevents the frost from reaching the ground. "Frost is normally a blessing for the ground," Christoph Tebbe from the Thünen Institute for Biodiversity in Brunswick told DPA. The frost normally loosens up the soil, but not if it's underwater. "The ground can't regenerate over winter is too tight" meaning that it cannot take in any more water in the spring which can in turn have a negative impact on crops. Of course, flooding can also damage buildings, but the frost adds an extra danger. "When water freezes, it expands by 10%," Norbert Gebbeken, an expert in structural analysis at the Bundeswehr University in Munich, told DPA. "And this expansion can create such a high pressure that material or building parts can really be destroyed," he explained. Why has the flooding been so devastating? The cause of the intense flooding seen throughout Lower Saxony and other parts of northern Germany goes back to the draining of the floodplains along the rivers, according to Christian Wolter from the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin. "More than 70% of the wetlands along the rivers practically don't exist anymore," he told German public broadcaster Tagesschau. "That of course also means that more than 70% of the historical retention areas, which the water had been able to flow into, are no longer there." Besides the disappearance of the wetlands, Wolter also pointed to the straightening of waterways, especially the upper reaches of rivers that were straightened to carry rainfall away from the mountains as quickly as possible. "The straighter the small tributary streams, the faster the water flow downstream," Wolter said. "And when it's very fast, those downstream don't really have a chance to react."   How to stop future flooding Wolter suggests that instead of building ever bigger and stronger dykes to control the water, instead, it would be preferable to let the rivers and wetlands revitalize and focus on protecting the human infrastructure. One problem here is that environmental protection and adaption requires money, but Germany's coalition government — which includes the Green Party — recently cut funding for climate protection from €5 billion ($5.48 billion) to €3.5 billion in an attempt to plug the holes in its reduced budget.   This money was earmarked for the protection of ecosystems in forests, moors and wetlands which are also able to store large amounts of CO2, the main driver of man-made climate change which itself is responsible for the more frequent and extreme weather such as wildfires, flooding and drought seen over the past few years.    Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, from the pro-market Free Democrats (FDP) has also ruled out lifting Germany's infamous "debt brake" to free up funds for those farmers hit by the recent flooding. This can be done if the government declares an emergency situation, as it did following major flooding in the Ahr Valley in particular in 2021 — although Buschmann cited a recent constitutional court ruling and said he was no longer certain whether that decision had been justified based on the court's findings.   "The requirements set by the Federal Constitutional Court are strict. We must not take any legal risks here," he told German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag. "It's not about being stingy, it's about intergenerational justice."  

As the mustard fields of the Kashmir Valley bloom in full swing this season, farmers are expecting a better income from decent production. The favorable winter and timely rains have helped the mustard crop grow well, and today the fields are fully ready. This news is a welcome relief for farmers who have had to endure years of uncertain weather conditions and fluctuating market prices. The Department of Agriculture has played a crucial role in this success story by distributing 30,000 tons of mustard seeds for cultivation on 20,170 hectares of agricultural land in the Anantnag district alone. Furthermore, 142 tons of new varieties and high-breed quality seeds were imported to promote better production. The seeds provided by the Department of Agriculture have doubled the crop yield and increased farmers' income. Chief Agriculture Officer Anantnag Aijaz Hussain has rightly pointed out that this success story is the result of continuous efforts by the department and environment-friendly weather. The department is taking massive steps to further promote mustard cultivation and bring it under the ambit of agri-tourism in the near future. The tourists visiting the Kashmir valley are already enjoying the beauty of the mustard flowers on the sides of the national highways and on the highways leading to the tourist spots. The increased production of mustard and the resultant better income for farmers is a positive development for the agricultural sector in the region. It is also a testament to the hard work and perseverance of the farmers who have braved several challenges to achieve this success. We hope that this trend continues, and the farmers of the Kashmir Valley are able to enjoy better incomes and a more stable future. Source: www.indiablooms.com

The farmers in Jammu & Kashmir have been giving very positive responses to the decision of the agriculture department of implementing 29 projects aiming to achieve ‘holistic development’. Aiming to modernize the agriculture sector, the Jammu & Kashmir administration has planned to implement 29 projects costing more than Rs 500 corer from this year to increase agricultural production. Named ‘Holistic Development’, these projects aim at holistic development and promotion of agriculture and allied sectors so that the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir can get maximum profit and create employment opportunities from the agriculture sector. These projects were formed last year by a committee that included experts from the agriculture sector as members. The farmers of Kashmir Valley seem to be very happy with this initiative of the authorities. According to them, the implementation of these schemes will give them profitable benefits. They said that modernization in the agriculture sector is very important because most of the people in the Kashmir valley belong to agriculture. “Holistic project is very necessary to increase our production and earn double profit. We welcome this initiative of the authorities” said a farmer. The Director of the Agriculture Department, Iqbal Chaudhry, while providing information about these holistic projects, said that the agriculture sector and other related sectors contribute more than 18 per cent to the GDP of Jammu and Kashmir and support more than 1.3 lakh families by providing employment. He said that during the last decades, farmers have become frustrated with low production, climate change and other challenges in farming and they are looking for alternatives to farming. Chaudhry further said that the projects will be implemented through a plan of action to increase the crops produced in the Kashmir valley and the youth will become entrepreneurs from the production that will earn them employment. He says that under this policy, a target has been set to develop nineteen thousand young entrepreneurs who will provide employment to more than three lakh people. The Director said that among the crops that have been given most attention are vegetables, mustard, saffron, millets, basmati rice and other such crops (cash crops) from which the farmers can get better profits. He said that the target of the farmers for the next two years is to double the yield of these crops and they have to use less labor, fertilizers and other inputs in the cultivation of these crops so that the profit is also due to the low cost.

Apple farmers in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri region are setting an example as they are growing the fruit in large quantities on small agricultural lands.   The agricultural land lies in the Gabbar Panchayat in Bughal Block. This cold weather area is located in the heart of the Pir Panjal mountains. The farmers mostly belonging to poor backgrounds, earlier used to harvest maize and wheat. These farmers have now shifted to apple farming. They are now engaged in growing almost all the best types and qualities of apples. Apart from apples, they are also busy cultivating walnuts.   “These apples are from our farm, they are of very good quality, our Prime Minister Modi has said about developing agriculture, he has also given us land, and we poor people are doing very well by growing apples on it,” a local farmer told. Source: ANI

Farmers in Kandahar and Helmand say that this year the yield is good considering the drought in the country. Mohammad Wali, a farmer in Kandahar, said that although he is concerned about the drought this year the cultivation of the opium is favorable as there is no other work. “There is no work, all the families are in debt and everyone’s hope is opium,” said Mohammad Wali, a farmer. Meanwhile, officials of the Islamic Emirate said they are trying to find alternatives for the poppy farmers. “The Islamic Emirate through using government facilities, and in coordination with various international organizations and in cooperation with the international community, is trying to find alternative jobs for those who are cultivating opium,” said Enamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate. “The issue of narcotics is one of the world’s biggest problems, and our neighboring countries, especially Russia, will be greatly affected by Afghanistan’s narcotics and this will affect the relations of the Islamic Emirate with the world,” said Noorullah Hazrati, a university lecturer. One of the major challenges that the previous government was facing was the massive cultivation of poppies and the production of opium in the country. Based on reports of international organizations, 90% of the world's narcotics is produced in Afghanistan. Although millions of dollars were spent on the eradication of opium it is still being cultivated in the country. Source: Tolonews

Millions of farmers in India will benefit from the country’s new farm laws, an Australian-based scholar who advised against listening to activists said. In an article for Foreign Policy, Salvatore Babones an adjunct scholar at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney said that India’s rich farmers are holding up reforms designed to help the poor. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered the farmers limited price supports but held the line on loan waivers. Instead, he promised to implement structural reforms after the election. The opposition Indian National Congress countered with a promise to “waive all farm loans” across the entire country–an expensive solution decried by economists as a populist magic wand,” he wrote. “Despite what activists and Western celebrities supporting the protests would have us believe, most of those who’ve been protesting the new laws since September aren’t drawn from the ranks of marginalized subsistence farmers driven by debt and despair to the edge of suicide,” the scholar added. Babones stated that these farmers fear that the laws will help large agribusinesses undermine the current state-directed system for buying farm produce and ultimately lead to the dismantling of the price support system on which they depend. They are demanding that the government repeal the reforms and guarantee the future of price supports. “The overall goal of the reforms is to transform Indian agriculture from a locally managed rural economy into a modern national industry. They will allow small farmers to specialize in niche crops that can be marketed nationwide through large-scale wholesalers. They will also create new risks, as farmers are transformed into an entrepreneur,” according to his article on Foreign Policy. He stated that when authoritative Western media outlets “uncritically buy into the poor farmers” narrative, the result is pure misinformation. Articles suggesting that the BJP’s new farm laws threaten the livelihoods of as many as 800 million people must wrestle with the reality that in a country where 52 per cent of the working population is engaged in agriculture, only 6 per cent of the population actively disapprove of Modi’s performance in office. Source: midpoint AH

Farmers across India hit the streets on Friday, blocking roads and railway tracks, to protest reforms they feared would hurt their livelihoods. The fierce protests against three farm bills that were recently passed by the Indian Parliament began around 8 am, but remained concentrated in the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where farm yields are high. While the Indian government has said that the reforms will help farmers get better prices by allowing them to sell their produce at markets and prices of their choice, the protesters fear the bills will hurt their interests as they pave the way for the entry of private players into the agricultural market. Harinder Singh Lakhowal of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Indian Farmers' Union), which is spearheading the protests, told the media, "Our agitations will continue until the government rolls back the anti-farmer reforms." India's main opposition Congress party, as well as some regional outfits, have lent their support for the farmers. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: "They (the farmers) will be forced to become slaves of trillions through contract farming." Her brother Rahul added: "The new agriculture laws will enslave our farmers". The government, however, slammed the opposition parties for "misleading" the farmers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the reforms were necessary to increase farm incomes and productivity. "Our government has created history. Small and marginal farmers will benefit the most from the reforms," he said. Experts say the fear of farmers stems out of the fact that most of them currently sell their produce at government-controlled wholesale markets at a minimum support price. "They feel if the MSP goes, market forces will eventually dictate prices," said Prof BK Gupta, an agriculture policy expert. Indian President is yet to sign the three farm bills into law. What the 3 farm bills aim at? 1. End the monopoly of government-regulated markets and allow farmers to sell their produce directly to private players 2. Ensure a legal framework for farmers to enter into written pacts with companies and produce for them 3. Allow agri-businesses to stock food articles and remove the government's ability to impose restrictions arbitrarily. Source: UNB AH

‘Time has gone for the middlemen to supply paddy in the government godowns. The government will buy paddy directly from the farmers through online. For this purpose use of an app named Krishoker App has begun. The program has been taken as experimental basis in 16 upazilas for the first time. It will be allowed to spread throughout the country by phases.’ Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said these at a program of fertilizer and seed distribution among the farmers at Sapahar in Naogaon on Saturday. The minister said, the farmers can supply paddy to the government godowns without any hassle after applying through online. I would request you not sell the slips to the middlemen which will be given for supplying paddy. Seeds of crops and fertilizer were distributed among the farmers at the program. Local administration officers and others were present at that time. AH