ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
chain efficiency ; while Rallis and ICICI benefit through assured clientele for their products and services .
Drip Irrigation
Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilisers by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of many different plants , either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone , through a network of valves , pipes , tubing , and emitters . The systems are generally more efficient than conventional sprinklers because they deliver low volumes of water directly to plants ’ roots , minimising losses due to the wind , runoff , evaporation , or overspray Drip irrigations systems use 20 – 50 percent less water than a conventional pop-up sprinkler . Some of the other key benefits of drip irrigation are - increase in production and productivity , improved quality and early maturity of the crops , controls weed growth , saves fertiliser ( 30 %) and labour cost ( 10 %), and fertigation / chemigation can be made efficiently while controlling diseases . According to the National Committee on Plasticulture Applications in Horticulture ( NCPAH ), India , drip irrigation contributed to water saving to the extent of 45 percent in banana cultivation , 68 percent in cauliflower and chilly cultivation , 40 percent in groundnut cultivation , 42 percent in tomato cultivation , and 66 percent in watermelon cultivation . Such lower-cost , more water-efficient irrigation technologies have the potential to greatly expand small-scale irrigation in Africa and significantly improve food security and family incomes . In Africa , there have been a few successful cases of the use of drip irrigation .
Agricultural Markets
A good agricultural harvest is of little use if the produce does not fetch enough returns to warrant a sustainable agricultural venture . Thus , marketing agriculture produce efficiently becomes important not only for expansion of the size of the market but also for transfer of appropriate price signals . An agricultural market backed by strong and adequate infrastructure goes a long way in efficiently selling agricultural produce without the interference of middlemen .
Taking cognisance of this , the Indian Government launched the National Agriculture Market ( e-NAM ) in 2016 , with the objective of integrating agri-markets across the country through an e-platform and creating a unified national market for agricultural commodities . These e-mandis ( markets ) integrate various vegetable markets across the country , bringing them all to one platform , and registered farmers are able to sell their produce online in any of the markets where they can get the best price . Involvement of private sector ensures investment and entrepreneurial skills required for creation and management of modern markets . Thus , the e-marketing platform promotes free flow of agricultural commodities across the country and is gradually providing better prospects for marketing of agriculture produce . Improved access to market related information and better price discovery through a more efficient , transparent and competitive marketing platform has provided agriculture producers access to a greater number of buyers within the State and from outside , through transparent auction processes . It has also increased access to markets through warehouse based sales and , thus , obviated the need for transporting agri products to the nearby markets .
Precision Farming Traditional agriculture techniques follow tasks such as planting , irrigating or harvesting
30 • Africa Day Special • 2018