Chapter 11-Use of Technology in Indian Agriculture
Summary
Indian civilization is one of oldest civilizations in the world and similarly Indian agriculture is
also of the same age. Ancient Indian farmers were quite rich because agriculture was the most
advanced and prestigious occupation of that time. Fifty per cent of the population is still
dependent on agriculture and occupations related to agriculture. Indian traditions, customs and
religious culture were adversary affected along with agriculture due to foreign invaders and
rulers and our advanced agriculture lagged behind as compared to other countries.
The government has initiated a new export policy to double the export price by 2022. The
government is planning to increase the export realisation from USD 30 billion to USD 60 billion.
A broad agriculture policy has been initiated to take care of issues related to agriculture and agri-
cells have been established in many Indian embassies under this policy.
The government has decided to develop the field of transport of goods and courier facilities
through innovations. As a result of the efforts made by this government, the export of
agricultural produce and products related to agriculture has been increased to Rs 2.73 lakh crore.
Private investors will have to play an important role in export-oriented activities and the basic
structure will have to be developed. Loss of food items could be reduced with structural
development work like godown, cold storages and market yards etc. We can encourage value
added services by promoting the food processing industry.
The Central government has provided new financial packages to the agriculture sector to provide
them all possible help and the targets of the government to double their income could be
achieved. The government is promoting agri-business with a view to provide maximum benefit
to the farmers. Amazon, Alibaba, E-bay and Walmart E-commerce agencies have brought
revolutionary changes through artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In line
with the revolution of Ecommerce, a platform of E agri/digital agriculture is being prepared with
the help of which agri-business schemes will reach the major urban and town areas. Home
delivery agencies like Big Basket and Gofers have helped in paving the way to develop
beneficial agri-business for their own with the help of agriculture specialists.
Green farmhouse, poly house and small bio farms for growing vegetables etc are becoming
beneficial for the farmers due to their quality and fair prices. These days organic farming is
becoming popular among women farmers also. Today a farmer can start agricultural business
plan as a startup, develop it as a source of permanent income and sell his products in the open
market. Medicinal plants like Aloe vera, Neem, Tulsi can be produced on a large scale for
medical and pharmaceutical sectors.
All efforts are being made by the government to enable farmers to have freedom and facility to
sell his products as per his choice. The government is encouraging innovations and advanced
scientific agricultural techniques for paving the way for reforms in agricultural sector and rural
development to ensure inclusive development. Some of the important advanced agricultural
techniques which can transform Indian Agriculture are as follows:
Biotechnology: This is a technique which helps the farmers produce more in lesser area by use
of advanced agricultural systems. This technique is also environment friendly and helps in
increasing food production by the use of plant and animal wastes/residues.
Nano Science: This is a technique which provides information to the farmers through use of
smart delivery system and nano sensors as to whether or not plants are receiving water and other
necessary inputs in adequate quantity. Besides, it also provides information about the quality of
food produced
Geo Spatial Farming: By adopting geo spatial farming, agricultural production can be increased
on a large scale. Higher production can be achieved on the basis of factors like weeds, quality of
soil and its moisture content, production (fertility), rate of seeds, need of fertilizers and other
such factors.
Big Data: Big data will help in smart farming, and it will help the farmers in taking appropriate
and timely decisions. This will help in forecasting and advance estimates and will strengthen the
agricultural development.
Drones: They help in increasing production by reducing costs and loss in agricultural produce by
supervision work. Advanced sensors, capability of digital imaging, soil analysis, crop spraying,
crop monitoring, analysis of health of crops including fungus infection is possible with the help
of drone technique.
Necessary permissions from the Central government is to obtain for agriculture and other works.
The Indian agriculture sector is a major concern for the government and introducing new
technology will be the best way forward. A lot of private companies that build robots, data
analytics tools and drones have taken a keen interest in the agriculture sector. With effort from
companies and the right implementation of policies, the Agritech business should hopefully
begin to flourish.
Thank You
