Educated youth are coming into agriculture: ICAR-NARM director Dr Srinivasa Raot – Times of India

Dr Rao was addressing a webinar organized by Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences of Vignan University on Agritech Incubators –Scope and Opportunities on Saturday. Dr Rao said that about 19 per cent of people in the country were having just one square meal a day while the food wastage of a day in the country was sufficient to feed the entire UK. “About 30-40 per cent of agriculture produce is going waste due to improper agriculture management practices. The young farmers should focus on cutting down the waste with the help of technologies,” said Dr Rao. He explained about the roles of drones for field monitoring, water management, soil monitoring sensor and agriculture IoT and AgriTech market. He stated that agri-entrepreneurship improves the value of agriculture produce and reduces poverty, improves employment and improve agri-industry in rural areas. He also said Agri-Entrepreneurship will balance the country’s development and it would create capital for the country and improves the per capita income.

He also threw light machine learning for crop loss reduction, “Global firms have started looking at the significance of certain technologies that can be used to reduce food wastage. They have also started to invest in things like logistics and supply chain technologies, AI, Data monitoring, storage and packaging solutions.” Dr. Rao said. Vignan educational institutions group chairman, Dr. L. Rathaiah, vice chairman and MP, Srikrishnadevarayulu, vice chancellor, Dr. M.Y.S. Prasad, registrar, Dr. M.S. Raghunathan, director –AHS, Dr. T. Ramesh Babu were also present.