Infusion of New Technology Vital for Growth of Agri sector: Experts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
As agriculture is set to play a dynamic role in Kerala’s economy, it is vital to go for product diversification, value-addition, better management practices and effective marketing with the aid of new technologies and platforms, said experts participating in the Kerala Looks Ahead (KLA) global conference and consultation today.

Setting the ground for deliberations on “Modernising Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Resources”, Kerala Agriculture Minister V S Sunil Kumar emphasised the need to evolve interventions and strategies to transform the state into a production hub.

“Product diversification and value-addition are two key components in this process. For example, Kerala can emerge as a global production centre of fruits and flowers. Api culture also needs to be promoted so that we can market Kerala brand honey. The state’s conducive climate and strategic location are enabling factors for a leap in this segment. This can ensure handsome returns to farmers, especially the youth, and also better utilisation of available land, especially the plantations that mostly grow for a single crop. The new farming culture will also support tourism development,” Sunil Kumar said.

Underscoring the importance of public action in keeping agriculture a viable activity, he said co-operative institutions have a pivotal role in procuring and marketing the farmers’ produce.

Hosted by Kerala State Planning Board, the three-day conclave was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday. Nobel winning economist Prof Joseph E Stiglitz and Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at WHO, delivered the keynote addresses at the opening session of the virtual meet.

Noting that Kerala can be a leader in experimenting with cutting-edge farm technologies and management practices, Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said it is important to address the issue of yield gap by enhancing productivity with the aid of technology at affordable costs and sustainable management models.

“Kerala can be a leader in new technologies and innovations in the farm sector. There is plenty of opportunities. Sky is the limit if it is strategically worked out,” he said.

The use of Nano technology, which can reduce the input cost considerably, sensor-based systems like drones for crop monitoring and Artificial Intelligence and block chain based platforms are to be tried out in farm sector, said Dr Mohapatra, who is also Secretary, Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE), added.

Dr K S Subramanian. Director of Research, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, noted that the role of Nano technology is going to increase in the farm sector in the country as its various applications can bring down costs substantially and ensure effective crop management.

Another advantage of Nano technology is that “Atom-by-atom manipulation enables development of precise processes and products that ensure food security and environmental safety”, Dr Subramanian said.

Prof Kathleen Hefferon, Department of Microbiology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, New York, made a presentation on quantitative and qualitative changes being brought about by genome technology in improving crop varieties and yield.

The application CRISPR technology, a powerful tool for editing genes, is crucial in ensuring the food security to feed more mouths in the future by improving agriculture production, Dr Hefferon said.

The genome edited crops in Kerala can reduce chemical fertilizer use, provide crops with better resilience to poor climate conditions, ward off pests, reduce post-harvest loss, produce more nutrient-dense food and increase yields, she added.

Noting that Contract Farming and FPCs can be helpful if the farmer is at the centre, Prof Sukhpal Singh, Centre for Management in Agriculture, IIM Ahmedabad, said, in a sub- session on “Co-operative and agriculture: Learning lessons from global experience”. “Kerala definitely can benefit from this method if it is properly organised on the ground”, he added.

Speaking in the context of contract farming and FPCs (farmer producer companies) models in Thailand, he said their success “largely depends on how you leverage and strategise on the ground” rather than giving a premium to any particular company without competition.

Dr Balz Strasser, MD, Bio Suisse, Switzerland, said agricultural co-operatives, if properly organised, can ensure better returns to producers, and cater to the local demands. Value-addition and marketing are also important in this process, he added.

Mr Nutthanai Ninek, Business Development Manager, Tropicana Oil Company, Thailand, said it was important to invest in human resource and research and development for the growth of agriculture. The marketing of products should be digitised to tap global demand and better returns, he said.

Prof R Ramakumar, Member Kerala State Planning Board, welcomed the participants and S S Nagesh, Chief Agriculture Division, Planning Board, proposed the vote of thanks.