The Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP) marked a milestone, with the inauguration of a Centre for Excellence for Cut Flowers at Thally here on Wednesday.
This is the first such centre for cut flowers in the State and has cut flower production technology through hi-tech poly houses and automated fertigation. It is the 15th such centre inaugurated in the country and the IIAP plans a total of 30 centres on various agricultural products.
Speaking at the inaugural, Dana Kursh, Counsul-General of Israel in Bengaluru, said the stakeholders were not the two governments, but the cultivators, whose quality of life improved with technology and cooperative cultivation.
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According to Ambassador Gil Haskel, also Head of MASHAV (Israel’s agency for International development and foreign cooperation), the centre will provide training in Israeli practices. Later, speaking to a select group of print media persons on the sidelines, the Ambassador shared the Israeli experience in agriculture that overcame climate disadvantages with technology to make agriculture viable.
Israel grows 80 % of its export vegetables to the U.S. and Europe in arid regions, practically deserts, with the use of technology, he said.
On the impact of nematodes (pest) in soil that is pushing farmers to close down poly house (green house) cultivation in parts of Karnataka, the Ambassador said nematodes pest treatment would form the future phase in agriculture cooperation between the two countries.
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“Soilless cultivation, soil treatment and addressing the entire value chain from the start of seed production are significant. When one link in the chain is faulty, the entire chain is affected. Israeli technology and knowledge through its own experiences will be trickled down through these Centres of Excellence,” Mr. Haskel said.
Israeli cooperation in 2018 will include biological pest control through integrated pest management through training at its Centres of Excellence, said Danaluf, Counsellor, International Cooperation (MASHAV) Science and Agriculture.
In the address read out on behalf of the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who could not be present, the Minister said, the Union Government had accorded high priority to Indo-Israel collaborative projects.
A similar Centre for Excellence for Vegetables in Dindigul will be inaugurated early next year.