Farm sector has to cut pesticide use, says Deveshwar

 The challenge before stakeholders in the Indian farm sector was to develop technology that was free of pesticides but free of pests as well, through a combination of use of resistant seeds and natural pest control materials, he added.

 Within the country, the biggest hurdle continued to be lack of infrastructure and the many gaps that remained in the chain of supply between the farm and the buyer, he added.

 These shortcomings would have to be overcome to increase farm exports, and that too in the face of competition posed by the continued subsidies to domestic farm constituencies in the US and Europe, Deveshwar said.

 States like West Bengal had often been criticised for small agricultural holding sizes, with average land holding being 0.85 hectare per farmer.

 The solution to this problem was available from Israel, which has emerged as the pioneer in technology for high-yield cultivation in ultra small plots and greenhouses, Deveshwar, who is also chairman CII regional food and agriculture sub-committee, said.