Webster’s dictionary defines sustainability as keeping in existence; maintaining; enduring; withstanding. Sustainable agriculture encompasses all the above. It includes considerations for future food adequacy and also addresses issues as resource efficiency, profitability for farmers, and impact on the environment. In order for agriculture to sustain, to meet today’s world food needs as well as those in the future, it must protect and improve air, soil and water quality.
It is evident now that we cannot continue to debate whether or not modern technology should be a part of food production systems unless we are willing to accept increased starvation. The world is advancing and so must agriculture. Producing more food per acre, doing it efficiently and in a manner that is more profitable for farmers while remaining environmentally friendly is the need of the hour. A laudable step in this direction has been taken by the Vasundhara Raje led Government in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan is not just India’s largest state – it is also a significant producer of agricultural produce. The potential of Agro and Food processing is extremely high in Rajasthan as is the possibilities for setting up industries related to livestock feed. In this backdrop the Rajasthan government has gone about formulating a forward looking Agro-Business and Agri-Marketing policy.
The Rajasthan government’s has been trying to create an atmosphere where excellence in farming is recognized and progressive practices are disseminated. The government has identified farmers under a special programme who have done stellar work in innovative agricultural practices and designated them as ‘Specialist Farmers’ who shall further train other farmers in the State.
Under the visionary leadership of Vasundhara Raje, Rajasthan had started experimenting with olive oil production in her last tenure. Today, Rajasthan is the pioneer state in the commercial cultivation of olive. The First olive refinery in the country has been established at Lunkaransar and more than 10000 litres of ‘Raj olive’ has already been produced. Rajasthan is now looking at dragon fruit cultivation.
Aiming to give a boost to cultivation of citrus fruits in the state, Chief Minister of Rajasthan recently inaugurated a Center of Excellence in Citrus fruits at Nanta, Kota in partnership with Israel. The previous Raje government had started work on this dream-center in 2004-05. 3 new centres were also sanctioned for Mandarin at Jhalawar, Guava at Tonk and Mango at Dholpur. A centre on Pomegranate at Bassi and other on Date palm in Jaisalmer are being established.
Adopting technology driven interventions, the Rajasthan government is establishing 55 new soil testing laboratories and nearly 14 lac soil health cards have been distributed. Innovations in form of digitization of mandis, master data for fast and easy dissemination, direct benefit transfer for farmers, accident assistance scheme for farmers, farm labour and livestock have also been undertaken. In a supportive step, facility of providing nourishing meals to farmers at the cost of Rs. 5 has been started at 61 mandis, benefitting close to 39 lakh farmers.
These efforts are reflected in the fact that State has recently been awarded the ‘Krishi Karman Award’ by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Krishi Unnati Mela for outstanding contribution in the production of Wheat and the National Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in micro-irrigation technology and water management in the Narmada Canal Project’ in December 2015.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is trying to achieve the best in agro technique and technology by organizing GRAM- The Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet. A first for Rajasthan, this event shall be organized on the lines of Resurgent Rajasthan and shall give the platform to farmers to get a know of the latest in agriculture technology and practices so that they can skill themselves and compete with the finest.
Resurgent Rajasthan put Rajasthan on the global map in terms of being ‘investor friendly’. Organizing Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet – 2016 for promotion of agri-business would be an important step in the direction of changing the fate of agriculture in Rajasthan. The Government intends to partner with countries and states having remarkable achievements in agriculture sector for GRAM 2016, so that the farmers of Rajasthan could be acquainted with innovations, research and best practices in the sectors likes agriculture, animal husbandry, irrigation, agri-equipment, supply chain and food technology. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has reportedly directed the officers to inform the agriculturists across the state about this AgriTech meet by organizing special Gram Sabha meetings directly and through webcasting so that the maximum number of farmers can be benefitted. Global Rajasthan AgriTech Meet would focus on value-addition chain, hi-tech and sustainable agriculture, increase of market linkages, best practices and sharing of important information related to agriculture. If things go according to CM Raje’s plan, GRAM- The Global Rajasthan AgriTech Meet shall mark Rajasthan as an agro-leader of the country and put a smile of the faces of millions of farmers.
