Transforming the agricultural sector

16/07/2020

India is one of the leading contributors to domestic and global agricultural production demand. India is the largest producer of milk in the world, the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables, and the adoption of technology has helped to improve these figures in various ways. But still today Indian agriculture is not free from problems. This Corona period in India has turned the youth of rural India into agriculture. Meanwhile, the educated young generation is looking for ways to improve its efficiency in dealing with the problems in the agricultural sector, besides, it is also putting more emphasis on how the adoption of technology can bind agricultural efficiency in rural India. Conversion of agricultural land for alternative uses, the decline in the average size of agricultural holdings has reduced average landholdings, challenging the efficient application of traditional farming methods. Indian agriculture is highly dependent on monsoon rains and rising global temperatures have made agriculture more prone to extreme weather events. Lack of marketing infrastructure, large storage gaps, cold chain limited connectivity have led to transportation and marketing challenges. The introduction of the latest technology has been limited due to various reasons such as lack of mechanization, access to credit, and low awareness.
Profiteering by middlemen is reducing the income of farmers, which is reducing the purchase of electricity for farmers to adopt new technology. Food processing efficiency is low in India, at 3% compared to 30-70% in developed countries, and the waste of agricultural produce is more than 40%. These issues are emphasized in the adoption of technology in agriculture.
Solar-powered water pumps use the abundant solar energy available. They provide an energy-efficient way. Reduce production costs and increase profits for the farmer. Per capita availability of fruits and vegetables is very low due to post-harvest losses, which is about 25% to 30% of production. However, the adoption of cold storage chain technology for perishable and other perishable agricultural commodities has greatly reduced waste and improved the benefits to farmers and consumers. Aadhaar-linked bank accounts and government records provide access to monetary benefits by correct identification, which in turn solves the problem of access to credit. Direct farm for door connectivity through e-commerce and m-commerce platforms has facilitated a large number of artisans to reduce the share of intermediaries and get a fair price for their produce. GPS mappinghelps the farmer in delivering the required items i.e. where he has to apply more or less fertilizer as per the requirement of the soil. GPS enabled services are also helping in the field of documentation about yield, humidity, etc. Although the adoption of technology has improved agricultural efficiency in the Indian agricultural sector, some areas still need attention.
Such everyday changes in the new agricultural sector create new challenges. Private sector agricultural investment is increasingly playing an important role, operations, and expertise will greatly benefit the agricultural public. Efforts in these areas need to be stepped up. Because of technical knowledge, infrastructure, and a strong distribution system, the R&D ecosystem contributes directly to agriculture.

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