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HomePosts Tagged "Raghavan Sampathkumar"
AgroPolicy, India, Seeds, Supply Chain

The seed industry believes that incentivising investments in advanced seed technologies and research that help enhance productivity and thus overall supply is crucial.

Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi launched sales of tomatoes at a subsidised rate of Rs 60 per kg in Delhi-NCR on July 29 as part of the government’s efforts to stabilise prices and provide relief to the common man.

The National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) vans have started providing tomatoes at a subsidised rate. The tomatoes are sold in Delhi along with Noida and Gurugram, according to the statement.

The Centre undertook the market intervention initiative to stabilise rising tomato prices in the retail market. The Department of Consumer Affairs has decided to launch this initiative to check the surge of tomato prices in major cities, especially Delhi.

Federation of Seed Industry of India has welcomed government’s initiative of selling subsidised tomatoes through NCCF vans. While commenting on the government’s initiative, Raghavan Sampathkumar, Executive Director, Federation of Seed Industry of India said, “We welcome the government’s initiative to sell subsidised tomatoes through NCCF vans, initially introduced in Delhi and now expanded to Mumbai, to help cool down rising costs and ensure affordability for consumers. While these short-term measures are vital in addressing acute price volatility, we would like to reiterate the need to focus on long-term, sustainable solutions.

The seed industry believes that incentivising investments in advanced seed technologies and research that help enhance productivity and thus overall supply is crucial.

For example, New Breeding Technologies (NBTs), including CRISPR gene editing can be leveraged for introducing crop traits like pest and disease resistance, improved productivity, and extended shelf life. These advancements will not only stabilize prices but also enhance farmers’ profitability.

We urge for continued support in developing superior seed varieties and implementing evidence-based policies that foster innovation and sustainability. This will pave the way for Indian agriculture to become prosperous and profitable, benefiting both farmers and consumers in the long run”.

The seed industry believes that incentivising investments

AgroPolicy, India, R&D, Seeds, Textile industry

To enhance cotton production, a pilot project was initiated in 2023-2024, introducing technologies like HDPS, Closer Spacing planting, and Production technology for ELS cotton.

 India needs to focus on R&D and improved cultivation methods to meet the rising cotton demand in the textile industry at a time when the fiber crop is serving as a cornerstone in supporting the livelihoods of approximately 6 million farmers and an additional 40-50 million individuals involved in related activities, said Raghavan Sampathkumar, Executive Director, Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII).

He pointed to what Chandrakant Patil, Minister of Textiles, Government of Maharashtra, wrote in an article recently highlighting that the country stands at the cusp of becoming a global textile powerhouse, with numerous states like Maharashtra, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu spearheading policy initiatives to establish textile parks. The aim is to propel the industry towards a projected $250-billion in textile production by 2030. 

Sampathkumar said the textile industry is undergoing a significant transformation with initiatives like the PLI Scheme for Textiles, Kasturi Cotton Bharat program, National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM), SAMARTH, and PM MITRA, development of 11 exclusive textile parks, strengthening the textile value chain through technological upgradation and so on. With over 45 million skilled workers, the textile sector is significant for employment and economic growth in India.

To boost India’s textile sector’s global competitiveness, promoting cotton cultivation is paramount as approximately 74 per cent of the apparel exported from India is made of cotton. Yet, with cotton being the primary source, there are key challenges and concerns that both the government and industry need to acknowledge and address, Sampathkumar said.

Firstly, the cotton industry requires revitalization through increased production and strengthening of the value chain. With the introduction of Bt Cotton, India saw a significant surge in cotton production from 10 to nearly 40 million bales annually between early 2000s and FY2014, transforming into a leading producer. Cotton production in India increased steadily and rather steeply from 2004-05 onwards primarily due to a sharp rise in yield. However, continuously evolving challenges of pests and diseases, weeds, salinity and soil degradation, and climate aberrations are causing stagnation post-FY2015, with production at 36.2 million bales in FY2022. Hence, the cotton industry in India is currently at crossroads and there is an imminent need to find innovative solutions through scientific research.

Research on pests particularly pink bollworm, several diseases, herbicide-tolerance enable more efficient control against these challenges, reducing manual labor and potentially increasing yields. All these present enormous opportunities for sustainable growth. However, to achieve the above, there should be an imperative on promoting new concepts like High Density Planting System, to increase yields and improve profitability. It’s crucial for both government and private sectors to collaborate in adopting and promoting innovative technologies to boost yield and farmers’ income, Sampathkumar added.

To enhance cotton production, a pilot project was initiated in 2023-2024, introducing technologies like High Density Planting System (HDPS), Closer Spacing planting, and Production technology for ELS cotton. HDPS has shown promising results, with Maharashtra farmers reporting a threefold yield increase. It involves denser sowing, boosting light interception, boll production, and yield while optimizing nutrient and water use and suppressing weed growth. Popularizing such practices will increase overall cotton production, realizing the state’s aspiration to drive the Indian textile industry’s growth story.

Biotechnological interventions are even more crucial amidst such pressing issues and can help improve cotton yield and production. Despite significant efforts by both the central and state governments and the advancements made possible by Bt-cotton, India’s seed sector in general but cotton in particular, grapples with numerous challenges. For example, public perception issues on genetically modified crops fueled by unfounded fear mongering are resulting in significant and prolonged delays, procedural complexities, and in ambiguity hindering investments in research and development. Without research, it must be noted that no solutions can ever be found, pointed Sampathkumar.

To surmount these challenges and move towards regaining India’s glory as a major global cotton producer, a cohesive effort is needed involving policymakers, scientists, farmers, and the industry players to come together to formulate robust unbiased policies, raise public awareness on science-based technologies, and promote sustainable agricultural cultivation methods. India should strengthen its research capabilities, with streamlined policies & regulations. Collaboration among stakeholders is crucial and by leveraging new technologies including biotechnology, and new systems like HDPS, India can enhance its cotton productivity and meet the growing demand for cotton for the textile industry.

To enhance cotton production, a pilot project

Agrotech, India, Seeds, Sustainability

FSII urges for collaborative efforts involving all stakeholders across the agricultural value chain to address agricultural waste issue.

India faces a significant challenge with its agricultural waste generation. Annually, the nation produces about 683 million tonnes (MT) of crop waste and an estimated 682.6 million tons of agricultural waste, including both edible crop production and surplus materials. This waste contributes substantially to India’s overall waste generation, amounting to approximately 62 million tonnes per year.

Additionally, out of India’s total solid waste, roughly 380 million tons are organic wastes from agricultural sources. These numbers highlight the urgent need for effective waste management strategies to minimise environmental pollution and promote sustainable practices.

Raghavan Sampathkumar, Executive Director, Federation of Seed Industry of India mentioned that FSII recognises the severity of this situation and urges immediate action on the International Day of Zero Waste. Effective waste management in agriculture requires sustainable practices to optimize resource usage, including careful application of fertilizers, pesticides, and water. Precision agriculture, a technique of improving crop yields and assisting management decisions using high technology sensor and analysis tools, can significantly reduce input waste, enhancing long-term sustainability. It ensures the effective management of fertilizers and irrigation processes.

Food waste reduction requires a two-pronged approach: minimizing spoilage throughout the supply chain and aligning food production with demand. Firstly, better storage and transportation practices are crucial. Technologies like moisture-preserving coatings for produce and implementing tracking systems can significantly extend a product’s shelf life.

Secondly, bridging the gap between supply and demand is essential. In India’s complex supply chains, food needs are often predictable, yet production isn’t due to the many layers between farmers and consumers. Here, technology plays a vital role. By building a data network across the chain, from satellite imagery to smartphone apps, we can create a clearer picture of food demand, allowing farmers to adjust production accordingly. Additionally, advancements in biotechnology, such as disease-resistant crops, can further reduce pre- and post-harvest losses.

By prioritising these initiatives, India can significantly reduce food waste. This not only lessens the environmental impact, including water and energy waste, greenhouse gas emissions, and soil degradation, but also promotes sustainable agriculture, resource conservation, and a path towards environmental responsibility for future generations.

FSII calls for collaborative efforts involving all stakeholders across the agricultural value chain to address this pressing issue. By embracing sustainable practices, we can work towards a future where agricultural waste is minimized, environmental pollution is reduced, and India’s agricultural sector thrives sustainably.

FSII urges for collaborative efforts involving all

Agrotech, India, Opinions, Seeds

By Raghavan Sampathkumar, Executive Director, Federation of Seed Industry of India

Seed is the first and the best hope a farmer has and it is the foundation of “Socio-Economic Empowerment and Development”.  Over the last decade, the Indian seed industry has expanded both in size and performance, involving both private and public sector entities. In 2022, the Indian seed market was valued at $6.3 billion, projected to reach $12.7 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 12.43 per cent. Thanks to several foresighted and proactive initiatives by the Government of India, the country has witnessed an increased seed replacement rate, for example, in rice, rising from 40 per cent in 2011 to 64 per cent in 2017. The seed industry’s foundation was established in the 1960s and subsequent policies in the late 1980s, including the New Seed Development Policy (1988-1989), transformed the industry and provided Indian farmers access to superior seed and planting materials.

The Indian seed industry is at the forefront of innovation, focusing on areas such as pest and disease-resistant seeds, drought and heat-tolerant varieties, and more nutritious options to address the challenges of climate change and enhance nutritional value. Precision breeding techniques, along with data-driven approach and biotechnology innovations to develop new seed varieties that are resistant to pests, diseases, drought, and heat etc., are gaining ground. More advanced seed technologies have bolstered agricultural productivity as climate change, with its unpredictable weather patterns and increased pest resistance, presents a significant hurdle. Regulatory hurdles, such as the classification of genome-edited crops, hesitancy in acknowledging the important role and contribution of genetically modified (GM) crops and their utility remain big challenges for the growth of the Indian seed sector.

Key drivers of growth include a growing demand for high-quality seeds as farmers are becoming increasingly cognizant of the importance of using high-quality seeds; government support; adoption of digital technologies and increased investment from private and foreign entities. For the sustainable growth and development of the Indian seed industry, several policy and regulatory measures should be prioritised:

Policy & Regulatory Environment: Reforms are essential to establish a stable, predictable, transparent, and science-based policy and regulatory framework.

National Accreditation for R&D-based Companies: A system of accreditation for national-level seed research companies should be established, recognising their extensive efforts in research, data analytics, and quality control.

Investment in R&D: Encouragement of both public and private investment in seed research and development is crucial, with incentives and grants to foster the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient, and nutritionally rich seed varieties.

Restoration of Tax Deduction: To encourage increased R&D investment in the seed industry, the restoration of a 200 per cent income tax deduction for R&D expenditure is recommended.

Developing Climate-Resilient Seed Varieties: Incentivise the development and adoption of climate-resilient seed varieties to address the challenges posed by climate change, such as drought-tolerant, flood-resistant, and heat-tolerant seeds.

Regulatory Testing of New Technology Products: Implement a smooth and predictable process for field testing of new technology seeds.

Encourage Seed Export and International Collaboration: Develop a comprehensive “National Seed Production & Trade Policy” to facilitate seed exports and engage international seed research institutions for knowledge and technology sharing. Work towards making India a global hub for seed production and exports, aiming to capture at least 10 per cent of the global seed trade market.

To read more click on: https://agrospectrumindia.com/e-magazine

By Raghavan Sampathkumar, Executive Director, Federation of