Dr Banarsi Lal
Agriculture is the mainstay in the Indian economy. Despite planned industrialization in the last five decades, agriculture still occupies the significant position in our country. Agriculture is the largest industry in our country and it provides employment to around 70 per cent population. It is not possible to serve all the farmers, all the time for all the problems when the ratio of extension worker and farmer is more than 1:1000. The new WTO policies have come up with the strong influence of international markets. The Indian farmers need to work very hard to produce the quality goods in order to compete with the international standards. The present assistance is not sufficient to make the Indian farmers up to international standards. There is a need of specialized advice to the farmers. The govt. machinery need to be more qualified and trained for rendering the advice to the farmers. There is a need of the strong extension system for the dissemination of agricultural information to the farmers. Presently about 19.90 per cent of National GDP is contributed by the agriculture. Agriculture gives not only food security to the country but also creates the employment and raw materials for the different industries. The gains from green revolution have not been consolidated but also many new grounds broken to feed the bourgeoning human population of the country. There are several emerging concerns in agriculture which need our priority attention.
The farmer always demands the quality seed in agriculture. The diversification in agriculture is must but there is need of quality seed of pulses, oilseeds, horticultural crops, fisheries etc. for the proper growth and development in the country. Thus there is need to increase the quality seed for the agricultural crops. There is need for the rapid multiplication and sapling production including micro propagation/tissue culture of fruits. The quality seed in case of fisheries is very much needed. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Nation Seed Corporation of India, the State Agricultural Universities, State Seed Corporations and other seed producing agencies to respond properly to the farmers by providing the timely and quality seed so that they can go for commercial cultivation. Tonnes of breeder seed are being produced every year in the country. Major quantity includes oilseeds, cereals, pulses, forages and fibre crops. The breeder seed is multiplied to produce the foundation seed and then certified seed as quality seed. This helps to supply the quality seed to the farmers. The government of India is encouraging the State Agricultural Universities and ICAR Institutes to increase the quality seed production.
There is new market-led growth in India’s animal sector. The demand of animal products is increasing as there is an increase in per capita income, change in tastes, increase in urbanization and preferences in favour of livestock products. The different animal diseases cause economic loss and reduce the production potential.
The animal diseases like foot and mouth disease, rinderpest, mastitis, tuberculosis, black quarter and recently Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) etc. affect the animal health which reduces the production. There is need to focus on prevention and control of these diseases by the Indian research system. Different animal diseases diagnostic kits have been developed. Vaccines are helpful to control the viral diseases like foot and mouth disease, rinderpest but many more diseases are not controlled by the conventional vaccines. The cellular and molecular biology have led to the creation of new vaccines like recombinant DNA vaccines, synthetic peptide vaccines and anti-idiotope vaccines.
India ranks 2nd in total fish production accounting for 7.66 per cent of global production and first in inland fish production in the world. More than seven million people are engaged in fish production. The fisheries sector contributes around 1.0 per cent to the total GDP and around 5 per cent to the GDP from the agriculture sector. Over Rs 6000 crore export earning is contributed by the fisheries sector. India with diversified climate has ample scope of fisheries development in the country.
The harvest from marine resources of the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone has been estimated around 3.95 million tonnes per year and the same for the inland water bodies has been estimated to around 4.50 million tonnes. There is wide scope to increase the production in the fisheries sector.
Production of over 675 Kg/ha within 130 days of prawn and carp in Pen culture has been achieved. Two species of sand lobster have been bred and larval cycle completed in three to four weeks time.
The research in the field of aquaculture, population dynamics, fish health, post harvest technology, manpower etc. has been instrumental in ushering the blue revolution in the country. Several villages’ fortune has been changed by spreading the practices across freshwater, brackish water, cold water and marine sectors. The two issues have been focussed (1) the technologies need to be assessed and refined and (2) programme approach involving various components related to the farmers in different farming situations needed for a perceptible change.
The technology assessment and refinement is based on participation mode and helps to develop the strong linkage between scientist and farmer. The Government of India has decided to establish at least one Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in each district and presently there are 732 KVKs all over the country. Krishi Vigyan Kendras are playing a vital role in dissemination of agricultural information to the farmers. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are assessing and refining the need based technologies for the farmers. India is endowed with a wide range of agro-climatic conditions.
These conditions help for the growth of diverse range of plants, animal and micro organisms. India has been considered as one of the mega-centres of diversity.138 accessions of fruit crops, medicinal and aromatic plants, spices, tuber crops and bulbous crops were added to invitro repository. 338 accessions of Ber, 57 of date palm, 152 of Pomegranate, 43 of Aonla, 32 of Gonda, 11 of bael and 100 of cactus pear were collected and maintained in arid-zone fruits.
The germplam will be useful in developing the new high yielding varieties of fruits. The biotechnology in agriculture gives a new hope for the future. It helps in creation of new varieties which are resistant to different insect-pests, diseases and other problems by moving genes across the species barrier. The benefits of biotechnology are now seen at farmers’ field and the National Agriculture Research System has made strides in this field.
(The author is Head, KVK Reasi, Sher-e-Kashmir
University of Agricultural
Sciences and Technology-Jammu).
