Sponsored-GRAM 2016: Rajasthan’s Attempt To Promote Growth In Agriculture And Allied Fields

As a part of its initiative to increase farm productivity and profitability in Rajasthan, the state government is organising the Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet 2016 (GRAM 2016) to bring ideas and people from the fields of agriculture, technology and business to a single platform. To ensure an inclusive growth in agriculture and allied fields, this unique initiative will bring together stakeholders from all fields including farming, technology, academics, and policy to catalyse the process of improving sustainability and economic viability.

"The objective of the event is to ensure the economic empowerment of the farmers through accelerated growth in agriculture to double their income by 2022," Rajasthan’s Agriculture Minister Prabhu Lal Saini was quoted as saying. According to a report published by Network18, Saini also stated that farmers would be taught new techniques at the three-day trade fair to help them earn more yields and also novel methods of drip irrigation to overcome drought conditions.

The meet, which is being organized in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), will be held at Jaipur’s Exhibition & Convention Centre from November 9 to 11. International partners, including Australia, Canada, Israel and Netherlands, will participate in the expo and conference on knowledge-sharing. Countries like Australia and Israel, which do not have geography conducive for agriculture, have achieved a high level of productivity and profitability through technological innovations and modern farming practices. Rajasthan, which has a similar semi-arid geography, can benefit from their experience.

With over 75.11% of the state’s population being rural, the economy of the state is largely agrarian, and any reform in the agriculture sector will improve lives of millions of people across the state. Since agriculture forms the backbone of various of the state’s economy, the initiative should be seen as a holistic attempt to transform it.

Under the current government, the agriculture sector has seen exponential growth. According to State Institute Of Agriculture Management, half of the state’s geographical area (342.58 lakh ha) is cultivated with a production of around 100 lakh tonnes of cereals, 7.26 lakh tonnes of pulses, and 7.14 lakh tonnes of oilseeds, 5.61 lakh tonnes of sugarcane.

Policy changes under consideration, coupled with initiatives such as GRAM-2016, will ensure economic viability and sustainability.

Objectives Of GRAM 2016:

1) Farmer Empowerment: To propagate latest technical know-how and modern farming practices.

2) Showcase Agri-Innovations: To provide platforms to various stakeholders for the exhibition of innovative ideas and entrepreneurial solutions in the field.

3) Marketing Tie-Ups: To provide a platform for stakeholders to promote themselves and/or find promoters.

4) Joint Ventures: To facilitate joint-ventures between various stakeholders with smaller objectives and strategic assets.

5) Technology Transfer: To facilitate the transfer of technical know-how among willing firms/individuals.

6) International Investment: To provide platforms for firms seeking international investment.

7) Business Opportunities: To provide access to new business opportunities and avenues of growth.

8) Encourage Agri-Based Research: To facilitate academic and research based studies on agriculture.

9) Common Platform For Agri And Allied Ecosystems: To provide a platform for exhibition and propagation of agriculture and allied fields.

This article is sponsored by FICCI, event partner, Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet 2016 .