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Agriculture Technology
Need of Agri Techniques Development for Farmer
Shri Radha Mohan Singh, the Union Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Minister, has appealed to the agriculture scientists that they should develop techniques adaptable to the needs of huge number of marginal farmers in the country.
On the occasion of completion of centenary year of IRAR- Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) at Kasargod in Kerala, The Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister stated this. Shri Radha Mohan Singh also participated in an international seminar on research and development of coconut & plantation crops and he inaugurated the Kisan Mela here.
Against the national average of 1.15 hectare, agricultural holdings in Kerala are 0.22 hectare. Hence to make agriculture a profit making sector, it is necessary to adopt unified agriculture system as well as low volume high value crops, said Shri Singh, while speaking on the occasion.
He said that, the farmers of the state will be benefited by adopting multi-dimensional crops cycle system, with the inclusion of coconut along with black pepper, banana, pineapple, ginger, turmeric, jaifal and jimicand. The Minister said that by developing innovative technique related to plantation crops during span of 100 years, CPCRI has given the nation greater development pace.
India is among the world's leading coconut producer nations. Kerala has a significant contribution in this. according to Coconut Development Board figures, during 2014-15, 32 percent land area of Kerala in the year 2014-15 and 24 percent of production has been recorded in the country and in the year 2015-16, coconut products worth 1450 cr. rupees have been exported.
Shri Singh said that Kerala has been playing a leading role while formulating bio diversity strategy of the state. Apart from this, the livestock and fisheries sector are getting momentum. Keeping in view the agricultural potentialities, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has established five research institutes (Central Plantation Crops Research Institute- CPCRI, Indian Institute of Spices Research-IISR, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute-CTCRI, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute-CMFRI, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology-CIFT) as well as 14 agriculture science centers. In addition to this, central government has also been supporting state agriculture universities.