Key Points
The project is implemented though establishment of Centers of Excellence (CoE) in Indian states, where Israels expertise and knowledge in agriculture and related technologies is disseminated with a focus on local Indian conditions, such as soil, weather and crops specific to each state, according to the website of the Embassy of Israel in India...
From Punjab to Tamil Nadu, the CoEs have similar infrastructure demonstration plots, automated irrigation and fertigation systems (which supply dissolved fertiliser to crops through a drip system), and conference rooms or training rooms for farmers where Israeli agricultural management practices are imparted...
Tejbir Singh, horticultural development officer at the Kartarpur CoE, told ThePrint that the centre produces 20-25 lakh plants and seedlings in a year that are sold to around 5,000 farmers in Punjab, at Rs 3 per plant or seedling...
Hoshiarpur CoE officer Harjit Singh said ThePrint that CoEs are encouraged to adopt villages surrounding their periphery and equip farmers with the technologies demonstrated at the centre..
Apart from our demonstration plots, we have tried to share our knowledge with farmers through a guidebook that will help them through the agriculture cycle, from sowing to harvesting of various crops, in the local language, he said.. Kumar told ThePrint that farmers arrive every day at our centre for training and visit the demonstration plots..
