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Israeli technology yielding better vegetables in India
Wednesday, 10 September 2003, 19:30 IST
NEW DELHI: Israeli techniques and technology involving precision use of water, fertiliser and other inputs are today benefiting scores of Indian farmers.
"The Israeli technology is helping young farmers to enhance not only the yield but the quality and produce of off-season vegetables," N.P.S. Sirohi, principal scientist with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), told IANS.
The Pusa campus of the New Delhi-based IARI was the direct beneficiary of an agriculture cooperation agreement India entered with Israel in 1998.
Under a three-year jointly funded 
99.5 million project, a model farm spread over 7.5 hectares was set up complete with two green houses, nursery and net houses for transfer and training in Israeli technique of precision farming and protected horticulture.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, however, failed to visit the Pusa campus after deciding to cut short his visit to India and return home Wednesday in the wake of two terrorist attacks in his country that killed 15 people.
But Israeli Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz spent considerable time Wednesday morning going round the farm accompanied by experts.
Although the project has been fully funded by India for two years, till July an Israeli consultant was based in Pusa to help with the training programme, which is an integral component of the project.
Keen to maintain collaboration, India is working out a system by which Israeli resource persons would visit periodically for short durations to impart training and further consultancy on newer techniques and technology in precision farming.
Under an agreement Tuesday to work out a framework of cooperation preliminary to the signing of a memorandum of understanding, Israel is expected to share its expertise in growing more and better quality produce in smaller land area.
Largely an arid country, Israel has continually being upgrading its technique and technology of protected cultivation and is today a big exporter of farm produce to the U.S. and Europe.
"The awareness and adoption of low-cost greenhouses, net houses, insect proof nets, off-season cultivation using plastic tunnels is growing among farmers. Even the high-intensity growing technique under green house condition is being well received," said Sirohi.
Today farmers in south Gujarat, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and around Delhi many are growing off-season vegetable crops with good returns.
A combination of techniques of plastic tunnels and greenhouse is being used very effectively.
Now farmers are able to deliver muskmelon and summer squash (also known as chhapan kaddu in India or Zukuni in the West) ahead of the season and get remunerative prices.
"In times to come, this technique will have great relevance for our country as with greater globalisation there will be demand for better quality produce. Our training programme will help young graduates to get practical training on how to enhance yield from smaller area, using inputs more efficiently," said Sirohi.
Second after China in horticulture produce, India has been striving to enhance exports through better quality fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Besides the Pusa project, Israel has helped with a few other demonstration projects in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in precision farming and computer aided drip-irrigation cotton cultivation.
But success in some these projects have not been as much as desired mainly due high-cost of initial investment in setting up greenhouse and other infrastructure.
Lack of marketing infrastructure and high-cost of some of the quality produce has also been a deterrent.
On the other hand, some farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have utilised these technologies to improve the quality of yield and tap overseas markets like Israel, agriculture ministry officials said.
Many Indian companies have entered into joint ventures with Israeli firms to set up joint ventures in floriculture and horticulture.
Source: IANS
99.5 million project, a model farm spread over 7.5 hectares was set up complete with two green houses, nursery and net houses for transfer and training in Israeli technique of precision farming and protected horticulture.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, however, failed to visit the Pusa campus after deciding to cut short his visit to India and return home Wednesday in the wake of two terrorist attacks in his country that killed 15 people.
But Israeli Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz spent considerable time Wednesday morning going round the farm accompanied by experts.
Although the project has been fully funded by India for two years, till July an Israeli consultant was based in Pusa to help with the training programme, which is an integral component of the project.
Keen to maintain collaboration, India is working out a system by which Israeli resource persons would visit periodically for short durations to impart training and further consultancy on newer techniques and technology in precision farming.
Under an agreement Tuesday to work out a framework of cooperation preliminary to the signing of a memorandum of understanding, Israel is expected to share its expertise in growing more and better quality produce in smaller land area.
Largely an arid country, Israel has continually being upgrading its technique and technology of protected cultivation and is today a big exporter of farm produce to the U.S. and Europe.
"The awareness and adoption of low-cost greenhouses, net houses, insect proof nets, off-season cultivation using plastic tunnels is growing among farmers. Even the high-intensity growing technique under green house condition is being well received," said Sirohi.
Today farmers in south Gujarat, Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and around Delhi many are growing off-season vegetable crops with good returns.
A combination of techniques of plastic tunnels and greenhouse is being used very effectively.
Now farmers are able to deliver muskmelon and summer squash (also known as chhapan kaddu in India or Zukuni in the West) ahead of the season and get remunerative prices.
"In times to come, this technique will have great relevance for our country as with greater globalisation there will be demand for better quality produce. Our training programme will help young graduates to get practical training on how to enhance yield from smaller area, using inputs more efficiently," said Sirohi.
Second after China in horticulture produce, India has been striving to enhance exports through better quality fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Besides the Pusa project, Israel has helped with a few other demonstration projects in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra in precision farming and computer aided drip-irrigation cotton cultivation.
But success in some these projects have not been as much as desired mainly due high-cost of initial investment in setting up greenhouse and other infrastructure.
Lack of marketing infrastructure and high-cost of some of the quality produce has also been a deterrent.
On the other hand, some farmers in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh have utilised these technologies to improve the quality of yield and tap overseas markets like Israel, agriculture ministry officials said.
Many Indian companies have entered into joint ventures with Israeli firms to set up joint ventures in floriculture and horticulture.
Source: IANS