By Arushi Sharma
Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, the agriculture minister of Andhra Pradesh passed a statement to establish a regional rice innovation centre in the Indian state after visiting the head office of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Manila, the Philippines on February 7.
The focus on agricultural innovation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced the initiation of a similar regional centre in Varanasi last year. The development had come about after his visit to the rice research centre while he was in the Philippines for the ASEAN-India and the East Asia summits. According to the communication from the PMs Office, the centre would help increase farmers income by enhancing and supporting rice productivity, reducing the cost of production, value addition, diversification and enhancement of farmers skill.
Andhra Pradesh is famous as South Indias rice bowl with a major portion of the cultivated paddy being exported due to its high quality. However, the rice production in the state had gone down alarmingly during the last Rabi season, leading to its dependence on Telangana. The low rice production had been attributed to the prevailing drought conditions and non-availability of water. Thus, the governments recent focus on agricultural innovation doesnt come as a surprise. The state government recently also initiated a push to agriculture by earmarking Rs 11,200 crores for micro-irrigation. This move, which aims to bring 40 lakh acres of land under micro irrigation in the next five years, garnered a positive response as it promoted optimum use of water and power.
Benefits of satellite-based monitoring
In March 2017, IRRI had also entered into an agreement with the states Agricultural University to train its economists, scientists, and statisticians. Additionally, they promised to establish a satellite-based monitoring system in one of the campuses.
The operational system would assess the impact of natural disasters on the production of rice in Andhra Pradesh. According to IRRIs website, it would be capable of collecting up-to-date, detailed, and accurate data on rice production. This would, in turn, help the decision-makers and government agencies respond better in the areas that are vulnerable to droughts, floods, cyclones, and storm surges. While IRRI would continue to provide post-project support, it also plans to hand over a sustainability plan for operation and maintenance to the University and the Department of Agriculture by the end of 2019.
Improving agricultural productivity in India
The International Labour Organisations database reveals that agriculture accounts for 44 percent of the total workforce in India, as per 2017 estimates. About 70% of the rural households are still dependent on agriculture as their primary source of livelihood. Technology can help in estimating and minimising crop losses, replace traditional methods of farming, and improve agricultural infrastructure, all of which would contribute towards the larger goal of increased productivity. Therefore, deployment of research and innovation has the potential to unlock huge gains in the Indian agricultural sector in which a large part of the countrys population is directly and indirectly involved.
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