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Agriculture >
Cooperation makes it better
Israel-India
> Business Guide >
2017
Status of Centers of Excellence in India
The Israel and India’s bilateral agricultural project includes the establishment of 29
Centers of Excellence benefiting thousands of farmers all across the country. The
project is now in its Third Phase, further strengthening and widening the bilateral
agricultural development cooperation.It has become a strong sustainable platform
for addressing challenges via applicable research and introduction of relevant,
innovative Israeli agro-technologies.
As part of the project, Israeli agricultural
experts guide Indian teams across 8 States,
implementing technologies tailored according
to the requirements of Indian farmers. The
main characteristic of the model is a “train
the trainers”approach.The three main areas
of cooperation include nursery,canopy and
irrigation management.
The Centers of Excellence are jointly set up
according to the requirements and needs of
the Indian Government.They address both
small and large farm holders thus offering
a wide range of agricultural practices - from
hi-tech poly-houses to walking tunnels and
net houses, in order to enable farmers to
benefit from new technologies. During the
establishment and operation of the centers,
technologies and methods are adapted
to local conditions and requirements of
the farmers.
The Centers of Excellence are arranged in
clusters - vegetables,mangoes,pomegranates
and citrus.Each cluster is headed by an Indian
expert,who is usually the one who runs the
most advanced center in the cluster.
The head of a cluster has a crucial role in
ensuring the sustainability of the project,for
example:providing professional guidance to
other project officers in cultivation,but also
by being in charge of every stage during
the set-up of new centers (tenders, field
preparations,construction,etc.).Together with
their counterpart - the Israeli expert - each
head of cluster is also responsible for organizing
professional seminars and for adapting Israeli
technology to existing local needs, which
may greatly vary from one center to another.
Triangular Approach to Operations of
Centers of Excellence in India
The basic concept of the centers is based on
a triangular format: Applied Research, Field
Extension and the Progressive Farmer.
•
Applied Research:
Provides solutions to
the farmers, such as evaluating local fruits
and vegetables varieties to find the best
performing solution in the given climatic
conditions.Seed production companies are
requested to bring their commercial varieties
for a comparative test at the center that
includes parameters such as yield, quality,
and tolerance to diseases. The center will
recommend the best performing varieties
for use by the farmers.
Another aspect of the applied research is
to analyze the efficiency of plant protection
products and to adapt advanced technologies
to local conditions,pruning periods,fertilization
and irrigation.The central andmost important
commercial and professional activity of the
Centers of Excellence is the production of
high-quality, healthy, virus and pest-free
saplings and plug seedlings. A high quality
seedling is a base for a healthy plant and high
yield.The goal is to expose the farmers to the
highest quality and to its benefits - so they
will demand it from the private nurseries.
This process will elevate the quality of the
industry of sapling and seedling production.
Israeli agriculture expert showing progressive
farmers how new methods increase yield
Indian farm workers begin to apply modern nursery techniques
•
Field Extension:
This is the linking element
between applied research and the farmers,
carried out by government extension officers.
The purpose of this important link is double:
first,to disseminate the knowledge and second,
to make sure that the new technologies are
assimilated and implemented by the farmers
in the field.This can be seen, for example, in
the case of micro-irrigation:the knowledge
about the use of technology and hardware will
be imparted and demonstrated by training
at the centers;later on,the extension officers
will follow-up with farmers in the field to see
if the technology is being properly utilized
and taken care of.
•
Progressive Farmers:
They are the ones who
implement the technologies demonstrated at
the centers.They are an important part of the
process of transfer of knowledge by setting
an example and becoming role models to
other farmers.
The author is Director Policy Planning & External
Relations Department, MASHAV- Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Israel