Scientists moot tech-tonic shift in farming

SHILLONG: Space technology can play a key role in improving agriculture, said Director of North-Eastern Space Applications Centre P.L.N Raju at a programme on the primary sector in the city on Friday.
Addressing the gathering of scientists, government officials, NGOs and farmers at an interface meeting on issues, strategies and constraints for developing agriculture and allied sectors, Raju said use of space technology can make farming better as it has several advantages.
“Drones are also used as part of the technological exercise. These can fly up to 500 m-2 km high and they cover a particular area,” he said, adding, “Space technology is used regularly and the Ministry of Agriculture is using it. The Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre will coordinate all the activities for agriculture using space technology.”
In his speech as the chief guest on the occasion, B.D.R Tiwari said agricultural activities should be considered at an integrated approach along with agriculture and allied activities.
Tiwari, while expressing concern over more youths in India preferring white collar jobs to farming, mooted the idea of using technological advances in agriculture for its development.
The programme was organised by the College of Post Graduate Studies, Central Agricultural University, Umiam.
Kynsai Mukhim, representative from Regional Rural Training Institute (RRTC) at Umran, a farming-centric NGO, said the organisation trains farmers for a week to enable them to gain basic knowledge on selection of land, seedlings, among others.