Use of technology & Precision Agriculture Practices would Increase Production & Maintain Ecological Balance: Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra

Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Former Director General, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) said that precision agriculture and use of technology in agriculture should gain pace as it will help in achieving reasonable growth as well as maintaining ecological balance at the same time.

Dr. Mohapatra during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Crop protection Chemical industry platform ACFI in New Delhi said, "To avoid the ship-to-mouth syndrome of the 1950s and 1960s, we must increase agricultural production at a faster rate than demand growth due to population growth.

The use of technology and precision agriculture practices would assist us in increasing production while also maintaining ecological balance.  Dr. Mohapatra also asked the Agrochemical Federation to work with farmers to raise awareness about purchasing the right and genuine Agri inputs with GST bills, as well as how and when to use agrochemicals.

Dr. Ashok Dalwai, CEO of the National Rainfed Area Authority, mentioned the role of crop protection chemicals in sustainable agriculture "Pesticide use in India is far too low when compared to other developed countries. For sustainable agriculture, our country requires cutting-edge molecules with increased effectiveness.  To accomplish this, the industrial and agricultural sectors must work together. Because it is difficult for anyone to achieve the goal on their own, the industry should seek partnerships with other industries to achieve synergies.

"Salil Singhal, Chairman Emeritus of PI Industry, who was also present on the occasion, stated, "Without any logic or scientific basis, a negative perception of pesticides has spread. We must all work together to change the perception." Dr. SK Malhotra, Director of DKMA, shared similar sentiments and maintained that agrochemicals are critical Agri inputs for sustainable agriculture in India. Dr. Kalyan Goswami, DG, ACFI, set the tone for the AGM earlier, saying, "We have reiterated our commitment to society towards promoting the safe and judicious use of crop protection chemicals and working towards the sustainability of Indian agriculture."

Parikshit Mundhra, Chairman of the ACFI, reiterated "ACFI is doing its best to provide Crop Protection Chemicals at reasonable prices while also working to raise awareness among farmers about the importance of using quality products and the benefits they may provide. One such initiative is the Jago Kisan Jago campaign."

The Agro Chem Federation of India (ACFI) is an industry body that represents pesticide manufacturers/importers at the PAN India level. ACFI has collaborated with numerous academic institutions, farmer associations, government and non-government organizations, and so on.

The organisation claims to be working for farmers' interests by educating them about Plant Protection Chemicals (Pesticides) for higher yields and better quality of agricultural produce of various crops, including the right dose, timely and appropriate application methodology, and use of PPEs.