Founder
Kandi Srinivasa Reddy is an experienced technologist, a leader, and a philanthropist. Driven by his passion for technology and leading and managing companies, he is serving as a CEO and Director for a range of technology companies in India and the US. As a technology enthusiast, he is committed offering technology as a service and product in making people’s lives better.
Us-India Agriculture and Farming
Overview
Agriculture has been an integral part of human evolution since the dawn of human race and the need for agricultural information is as old as agriculture itself. In India, agriculture forms the backbone of the economy. India is the second largest agricultural producer and seventh largest exporter of agricultural goods. Farmers need to produce more than 70%more food than today to feed the growing population by 2050.
Owing to the dependence on this domain, special attention was paid to development of an agricultural research infrastructure immediately after Independence. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) acts as a database of agricultural-related information, and provides consultancy on improving agriculture, horticulture produce, resource management, fisheries, agricultural education, and agriculture-related marketing and communication.
Development Programs and Organizations
To better coordinate agricultural research and development, special programmes have been enforced to link local and national agriculture settings with international levels enhance the quality of life of the farming community. In India, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) has established various research centres to address the agricultural research and education needs of the farming community. It is actively pursuing resource development in the field of agricultural sciences by setting up numerous agricultural universities and institutes.
- Food insufficiency
- High import of essential goods and seeds
- Yield plateaus
- Degrading soil
- Nutrition deficiency
- Water stress
- Inadequate market infrastructure
- Inadequate linkage between community and farmers
- Lack of knowledge/information/education
- Volatility in market prices
- Post-harvest losses
- Lack of planning due to information asymmetry
- Crop wastage
Agricultural Challenges in India
In India, agriculture industry remains ineffective in leveraging on its potential to produce due to extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.In India, agriculture industry remains ineffective in leveraging on its potential to produce due to extreme weather conditions caused by climate change.
Need for Agricultural Transformation
To address these issues, government and local communities have executed various programs to combat climate-related challenges, increase efficiency of produce-related strategies, and ensure optimum production.
US-India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative
The US-India Agricultural Knowledge Transfer (AKI) was launched in 2005 by US President George Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to strengthen the Indian agricultural knowledge system.
Digital transformation of Agrifood Systems
The National Digital Agriculture Ecosystem (NDAE) was developed to elevate Indian Agriculture Sector in terms of efficiency and judicious use of the existing technologies to enhance productivity and improve the welfare and income of farmers.
US-India Agricultural Knowledge Transfer Focus
The US-India Agricultural Knowledge Initiative, including government, educational institutes, and the private sector, primarily focuses on planned activities such as resource capacity building, Agro-Processing and Marketing, resource management (water, seeds, crops), biotechnology, agrotech, biosecurity, and funding.
Some of the projects undertaken/in process are:
Two joint research projects: Processing and value-added products including formulated and fabricated foods, cereals, dairy products through extrusion technology; and Biofuels, by-products/waste management, residue recycling.
A project on bioremediation of heavy metals, such as arsenic/fluoride pollutants in soil and water would be jointly developed.
Biotech project that will focus on:
- Drought tolerance in rice and wheat
- Salt tolerance in rice
- Thermo tolerance in wheat
- Virus resistance in papaya, potato, banana
- Diagnostic procedures and vaccines for fish and livestock
In view of the emerging socio-economic volatility and global threats, biosecurity as related to agriculture becomes a critical area. It is required to be addressed as a new component under already identified focus areas of emerging biotechnology. From reducing the risk of introduction of alien invasive species to avoiding the release of bio-agents, a global partnership is mandatory between the participating nations.
Digital Green
Digital Green objective is aims to train over 10,000 farmers as community knowledge workers (CKWs) through web-based learning and online accreditation platforms. It is at frontline of the India’s rural livelihoods and plays a crucial role in sharing and tracking knowledge on agricultural best practices, famer and consumer health, and food security. The training course will allow farmers to participate and the CKWs will provide training on locally relevant agricultural best practices, using online platforms, videos.
These CKWs are expected to reach over ten lakh farmers, helping them improve their productivity and reduce the overall cost of cultivation—thus enhancing the socioeconomic well-being in a sustainable manner.
Effect of US-India Agricultural Knowledge Transfer Initiative
The US-India agricultural knowledge transfer initiative has empowered Indian farmers with the knowledge and skills required to ensure sure optimal crop yield, better crop management, and post-harvest management.
Opportunities for US Investors in India Agricultural Market
With a high percentage of waste in its current agricultural transportation infrastructure, the Indian market can provide significant new investment opportunities for leading US companies in transportation, logistics, and frozen foods distribution.
Future US-India Agricultural Joint Ventures and Research Collaborations
Apart from the existing programs, local communities and governments are on the lookout for possibilities for future collaborations to enhance agricultural output in India.
Conclusion
Through the adoption of US agricultural practices and knowledge transfer in India, we have seen some tremendous growth in terms of harvest production, crop management, and produce marketing. However, the agricultural sector in India is still not operating on its optimum capacity to be able to ensure food security in the coming decades.
This is primarily due to the lack of digital infrastructure in India and accessibility to agricultural knowledge. Consequently, a substantial portion of Indian farmers is devoid of efficient farming strategies that could allow them to better manage crop production and climate change. While there are several programs on effective management of agriculture including agrotech, biotechnology, and digital products there is still an ample scope of improvement in the adoption of these robust digital practices, knowledge, and processes by farmers in India.