New Delhi: Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh has said that, by utilising satellite and remote sensing technologies, there is unlimited scope for development in the sector.
In the coming days, for land resource mapping, pesticide management, soil health mapping, crop yield estimation as well as assessment of natural calamities, the satellite technology will be used, he said.
Singh said, "Through the space technology we will be able to give 100% right figures of wheat production too."
The minister was speaking on the side-lines of an event organised for geotagging of -agriculture infrastructure created under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and National Remote Sensing Centre. Geotagging involves assigning geographical identification to assets.
Meanwhile, on the occasion the minister of state for space and atomic energy Jitendra Singh said that after seeing the success of geotagging of one crore MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) assets in the country, the government is confident of using technology in agriculture sector to ensure transparency in governance.
In the coming days to obtain agriculture related information, farmers will utilise internet and mobile phones. The agriculture minister said that, "It will include the fertility situation of soil, the requisite quantity of fertilizer to be used and estimation of crop yields. Further, farmers will get to know the place from where they can custom hire farm machines, godowns, cold storages, agriculture markets as well as identification and availability of animal species."
More than 1.5 lakh assets in infrastructure, agriculture, horticulture, livestock, fisheries and dairy sectors from soil testing labs, seed farms, market yards, milk collection centre and cold storage have been earmarked for geotagging.
He said that through use of space technology the government will be able to monitor, utilise and formulate schemes for development of agriculture sector. The agriculture minister said, "It is imperative to formulate a national index of the assets to systemise them and to reduce the gap between demand and supply."
