The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has proposed the creation of a separate directorate of agriculture engineering at least at the block level in every State, as it could help substantially reduce losses and boost farmers' income. India loses over 1 lakh crore annually due to post-harvest losses.
"In most states, agriculture engineers are not even available at the district level. Even if they are available, their services have been used in other sectors such as seed distribution in States where no specific directorate exists," stated S N Jha, ICAR's Deputy Director General (Engineering). He has advised that the agriculture ministry persuade states to establish a separate agriculture engineering directorate.
He believes that every state should appoint an agriculture engineer at the block level, or if that is not practicable, at the district level, to assist farmers in running agriculture machinery at the farm level smoothly, not only for crop production but also for crop processing and value-adding.
Jha expressed worry that agriculture engineers' talent is not being fully utilized, claiming that there will be three benefits: increased employment, reduced post-harvest losses, and increased farmer income.
Post-Harvest Losses
According to a study by the Ludhiana-based Central Institute of Post-Harvest Engineering & Technology, the range of average post-harvest losses for foodgrains, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables has been calculated at 4.65-15.88 percent, valued at 92,651 crore at 2014 prices (CIPHET).
It discovered that overall losses decreased by 2% between 2005-06 and 2013-14, owing to improvements in infrastructure and transportation.
According to the report, paddy, wheat, chana, soyabean, tomato, onion, potato, banana, mango, coconut, sugarcane, fish, poultry meat, and milk account for 78 percent of total post-harvest losses. Due to the perishable nature of these commodities, horticultural output has the largest 34 percent share.
Jha cited the examples of Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh, where a separate directorate of agriculture engineering was established, as examples of how such a move would help the agriculture industry thrive.
Because mechanization is the way of the future in farming, he believes that an agriculture engineer who understands both engineering and agriculture can do justice, even if pesticides are applied via drone.
He has encouraged the Karnataka government, which is the country's first to establish a distinct secondary agriculture directorate, to incorporate agricultural engineering in the new structure.
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