Transcript Policy Perspectives on New Technologies in Agriculture

Policy Perspectives on New
Technologies in Agriculture
Refreshing the narrative
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Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
Agricultural Technologies
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Increase productivity, resource use efficiency and nutritive
value of crops
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Limit constraining factors
Improve environment
Reduce the drudgery
Reduce costs and increase incomes
Reduce the risks of failure
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
Constraints of Indian Agriculture
Developmental deficits
• Irrigation, Power, Markets
• HR, Social Indicators
Small and fragmented land holdings
• Little surplus to re invest
Limited natural resources
• Competing demands for water, land
• Climate change
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Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
Technology Adoption
Consumers/Market
Adverse Environment
Small Holder
Farmer
Clusters and groups
Farmer producer organizations
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Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
New Technologies
Imperatives
Mechanism
Reduce transaction costs
in promotion
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Push
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Simple, available
Leap frog developmental
deficits
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Reduced dependencies
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Pull
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Build trust
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Long term presence
Financing projects
(development only)
Good for basic research
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Financing results
(development plus
dissemination)
Good for strategic and
adaptive research
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
CHALLENGE 1
Abiotic and Biotic Stresses
Issues
Products
Challenge
Refining and fine
tuning technology
Innovations
•Incorporating
Farmers’ experience
•Modernizing ITKs
Dissemination of
technology
Varieties/Hybrids
Tillage/RCTs
Plant protection
• Reliability
• Replicability
• Perception &
persuasion
Climate Change
induced events
Risk mitigation
•Technologies
•Affordability
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Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
CHALLENGE 2
Technology Management
Issues
Use of advance
tools
Deriving full
value
Quality and
safety
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Product
Challenge
Innovations
•Knowledge and skill
(transgenic, etc) •Huge investment
•Advocacy tools
Private sector
•Mandate
involvement
•Regulation
•Incentives
Good
• Outreach programmes
Agricultural
• Profitability and
Practices
acceptability
• Application & Skill
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
CHALLENGE 3
Attracting youth
Issues
Unviable land
holding
Product
Farmer groups,
Supply chains
Technology
driven
diversification
More
employment,
More
remuneration
Interest in
farming
Reducing farm
drudgery
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Challenge
•Developing common
economic interest in
social mileu
• Market linkages
• Skill and risk
management
• Agri-Business models
• Knowledge & Skill
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015
Issues
How to maximize technology development from existing
tool box?
What incentive structure is needed to increase the
technology pool by upgrading tool sets?
Is there a need for global consensus on technology
preferences?
How do we develop advocacy tools to promote
environment protection through adoption of new
technologies?
Is ‘Sustainable Intensification’ feasible for small farm
holdings with the available shelf of technologies?
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Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India
21 July 2015