Manipur sends consignment of black rice to Europe
Manipur Chief Minister Biren Singh on Thursday flagged off a one metric tonne consignment of Organic Black Rice to Europe.
The Chief Minister said that the consignment is send through North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (NERAMAC) in association with the state Department of Agriculture.
He added, “This variety of rice has GI tag. I extend my gratitude to the Centre for extending support to the farmers in exporting their products. Black rice has high vitamin and mineral content besides being gluten free and strong antioxidant properties.”
He added, “Earlier we have send 1500 MT of black rice to other states in the country.”
India fields technology to boost farmers’ crop yields
India’s farm sector is increasingly embracing technology at various levels and industry is coveting the huge potential for tech-driven interventions that can possibly change agriculture landscape two decades from now.
Besides mechanisation of farming, technology penetration in the Indian agriculture sector is happening at multiple levels: policy interventions, digital innovations and biotechnology. In June, Bain & Co estimated that a $30-35 billion value pool will be created in agri-logistics, offtake, and agri-input delivery in India by 2025.
Quite a few agri-tech firms are developing a range of smart solutions to problems that farmers suffer daily. These AI and machine learning solutions like drones and precision farming techniques are aiding farmers past all stages from sowing to crop protection and nutrition, cultivation and harvest to connecting them to non-traditional markets. The use of GIS maps, use of satellite data for weather forecasting and new methods to spray pesticides is also taking off. Investments in agrifood startups in fiscal year 2020 stood at $ 1.1 billion, according to AgFunder, a US foodtech and agritech VC.
Domestic exporters should focus on quality of agricultural products: Vijay Raghavan
Principal Scientific Adviser to the government Vijay Raghavan has suggested domestic exporters to focus on quality of agricultural products as this was still the biggest challenge for the exporters of the sector in the country.
Quality, regulation and market analysis are of vital importance in exports of agriculture, horticulture and fisheries, he said at FIEO’s (Federation on Indian Export Organisations) two-day virtual orientation workshop on R&D exports, concluded on August 12.
“The Principal Scientific Adviser stressed on the need to focus on quality of agricultural products, as this was still the biggest challenge agricultural exporters face in our country,” FIEO said in a statement quoting Raghavan.
