Reinvigorating agriculture through science and technology

New Delhi, Aug 9 (UNI) To reinvigorate the agriculture sector, the Ministries of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences have drawn up time-bound programmes that include providing low-cost tractors and water pumps to farmers, implementing a horticulture planting material mission for the North East region and rejuvenating the tea industry in Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh.

The programmes, an outcome of an eight-hour brainstorming session with about 50 experts from the two ministries, are to be implemented within the next 18 months, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal told a press conference today.

A task force has been set up for the two ministries with the Secretary, Department oof Science and Technology, as Chairperson to facilitate and periodically monitor the programmes.

''I will be meeting Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on the issue on Monday,'' Mr Sibal said and asserted that the programmes were in no way overlapping with those pursued by the Agriculture Ministry or any other department.

As part of the endeavour-- to help the agriculture sector achieve a 4 per cent growth rate in the XIth Plan-- a real time crop health and productivity assessment platform will be perfected for the entire country by December this year. The project has already been implemented successfully in Punjab.

An agromet advisory service for all the districts will be operationalised by June 2008 and a comprehensive agroinformation portal made available in several local languages by December this year. These services will be integrated into the 24X7 science channel by next year.

Agro machineries and implements will be provided to farmers through state agricultural universities (SAVs) by December this year to help them shift from single crop to double crop.

''We have developed several low-cost machineries, including a 12 horse power tractor that costs only Rs one lakh and a water pump for only Rs 2,000,'' Mr Sibal said.

Feasibility studies will be completed by December this year for making potash from sea water, which will help in rejuvenating soil in the coastal areas.

The plan for rejuvenating the tea industry in North India will be prepared within the next two months. It will include providing processing technology to small growers and replanting of tea shrubs, most of which are already more than 100 years old.

A composite package of practices and inputs, based on soil quality and water availability mapping, starting with farmers' ''hot spots'', will be completed by June next year.

''The hot spots will be identified by the Agriculture Ministry,'' A study on national economic benefits, including carbon credit, accruing through the use of biopesticides and biofertilisers, will be prepared by December this year.

A high throughput seed quality assessment device will be developed by June next year.

UNI