Coimbatore: Agri students urged to focus on innovation

COIMBATORE Students should explore opportunities to become entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector a

Students should explore opportunities to become entrepreneurs in the agriculture sector as use of technology is increasing in the sector, according to speakers at the inaugural of a Global Conference and Expo on Agro Innovations 2022 organised by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here on Tuesday.

C. Samayamoorthy, Agricultural Production Commissioner, said over 100 innovations were showcased at the expo for future industrial purposes. Agri played a primary role not only for food production, but also to provide employment. The State had nearly 32 lakh farmers and they were cultivating 50 lakh ha to cater to 8.5 crore population. The State produced annually almost 120 lakh tonnes of food grains and 100 lakh tonnes of vegetables, fruits, and spice. Apart from catering to domestic demand, this was exported to other States and countries. Some of the pulses and oil seeds were purchased by the State from other States or countries, he said.

According to Prashanth Subramanian, chairman of Confederation of Indian Industry, Coimbatore, corporate companies are making huge investments in agriculture. A typical farm is changing with adoption of technology such as satellite imagery, sensors, drones, and artificial intelligence. These will add value to the sector in billions of dollars.

The western districts of the State have a healthy blend of agriculture, industry, and trade. These districts are also home to several innovations in the agriculture sector. The mission of the government is to improve the livelihood of farmers and farmer producer organisations. The students and industry should make use of these opportunities. The aim should be to make a farm efficient and increase value addition. The CII, which had conducted banana, turmeric, and coconut festivals, is working for the next edition of coconut festival.

V. Geethalakshmi, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said over 85% of the farmers in the country were marginal or small-scale. Students of the University should look at technologies that would benefit them. Tamil Nadu had achieved high volumes of food grain production. The focus now should be on value addition and food processing. There were challenges such as climate change. These should be taken into consideration when developing solutions and technologies, she said.