Know Your Seeds: Ensure Healthier Crop and Happier Farmers in 2019
Seeds play a major role in the success or failure of a crop which is why agri-tech in that industry is important for farmers to beat the odds. Seed companies must make use of information services and input providers to bring farmers on board and generate awareness. The industry is plagued by an information gap which hinders the farming community from making the best use of services available.
Moreover, it is equally imperative for companies to receive direct feedback about the agrarian crisis in order for targeted research and development. Finding a solution is mostly about better information exchange and coordinated efforts from farmers, companies and the government.
With India being an agrarian society, the first and foremost sector to have a direct impact is the seed industry. The very foundation of sustainable agriculture is built on the availability of quality seeds that yield good produce and a healthy harvest. According to estimates, the seed industry — distribution, availability, quantity and quality — has almost 20% impact on the crop production, high can almost double if other farming processes are optimised.
WHY SHOULD SEED INDUSTRY USE INFORMATION SERVICES?
It is important to create greater awareness regarding the developments and research in the seed industry so that ground-level players can use this information to their advantage.
Only a farmer knows what ails his land and what is required for a successful crop, and hence he will be the best to make use of the knowledge while choosing the seeds. Both parties become input providers in this process.
As weather patterns become erratic and natural resources fast depleting, modern plant breeding and developing technology have led to the evolution of hybrids, high-yielding and modified varieties of seed — from being resistant to insects to requiring low water.
Farmers need to be made aware of such qualities so that he can make an informed choice as per his requirements. Otherwise, the research and development of such seeds go to waste if they are not utilised properly, thereby harming the farmer and his yield.
MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE
India has chartered a significant course in seed development and distribution by adopting scientific research, advanced processes and modern technology. As India has emerged as the fifth-largest seed market globally, it is imperative that the industry keeps pace with changing developments, techniques, legal impacts and research for more efficient management and productivity.
Agro-tech has tried to address various problems with agriculture that we are facing today, hoping to feed the billions inhabiting the earth today.
In relation to the seed industry, the farmer needs to know the below:
Right seed for the farm
Right quantity in which the seed needs to be used
Right way to sow the seed
Right time to sow the see
Right & timely practices specific to that seed, be it adding urea, or be it preparing for a pest which is common for that seed quality etc
For a seed company/seed agribusiness, it is important to know the farmer and his or her intentions so that the right target audience is catered to. That is where a two-way interaction mechanism makes sense where the seed company gets to know the farmer better, and the farmer gets to know more details about the product he or she is using on the farm.
WHAT WILL BE THE RESULT
Basically, the more information is exchanged, there will be greater awareness and a search for more targeted research as well as product sale. Agro-tech is fighting a battle to equip farmers with better quality and quantity of seeds that will have a greater chance of successful yields.
A major concern of agriculture is the quality of the produce, and the condition of the seed has a direct impact. The nutritional value of the crop depends on what is sowed, and the government has been trying to address this problem over the past 30 years.
Apart from the National Seed Project Phase-I (1977–78), Phase-II (1978–79) and Phase-III (1990–1991), the Government of India also introduced New Seed Development Policy (1988–1989) which gave Indian farmers worldwide access to all agri-related products and information — from seeds to technology to practices.
This also led to greater investment by both private and government players in the seed industry, impacting further research and development.
Today, the Indian seed industry in competitive and has developed to be ‘farmer-centric’ by providing a wide choice in products, more quantity without compromising on quality. But more is required in terms of infrastructure and policy-making to be able to sustain the ever-increasing demand for higher yields versus lessening resources, and better interaction between input providers is the only way to do so.
