Dimapur March 29 (MExN): If response from local farmers, private entrepreneurs and public agri-firms in Nagaland are anything to go by, agro-technology would very soon be the catchword to set parameters for the local agri-economy to be considered on. A host of Agro-technology enterprises from both mainland India as well as the North East region participating in the ongoing North East Agri-Expo 2006 being held at 4th Mile Dimapur are offering local agriculturists prime-shelf technology. Already into its third day, these agribusiness firms dealing specifically in agri-technology are generating enough interests among local agriculturists as well as the state Agriculture and allied sectors department to have a go at one of those hi-tech machineries at the stalls. The gears range each specific from irrigation equipments, water-powered power generation equipments, farming utilities, sorters to sprinklers and tool kits.
The wide arrays of supplementary technological products have certainly caught the attention of local farmers and the Nagaland governments’ as well enough to make weighty enquiries. “The government as well as local-based agriculturists have shown significant interest in our products and we have already got some clients” according to A Kumar Chatterjee, Senior Marketing Executive of the OASIS. The firm deals specifically in irrigation technology to aid agriculture. Their products boast from powered irrigation equipments, energy-boosters and Piscery aids. “There certainly is a big potential in Nagaland to do agribusiness. All the people need is a little awareness. We’ll be organizing demonstration exercises for agriculturists here and create awareness among the farming-business community about the various hi-tech machineries that can boost their agricultural business” Chatterjee Said.
In the same vein the Kirloskar Brothers Group based in Pune dealing in machineries to generate power from pumps, pressure-booster and electricity processing conduits to solar-conduits have expressed satisfaction that the firm was generating interest apart from power. “The lands of Nagaland are very fertile and if technology could be harnessed to aid produce, it will progress. The government has shown interest in our products and prospective deals are being expected soon” PK Tiwari of the Group said. There are dozens of stalls offering agri-tech at the Expo.
Then apart from the firms offering top agrimechanical aids there are the ones offering quality boosters, namely fertilizers and various enhancers. One of these SPA Agro which boasts of ties with Germany and Italy has landed enough clients, including the state government at the Agri Expo. “The climatic conditions are good, the land is good and suitable for agriculture and our products just are the right kind to boost the produce and quantity” according to one of Spa Agro’s marketing executives at the stall.
However, not all technology, if otherwise from agriculture, stories are going the happy-ending way. One poultry and meat processing engineering firm RND Engineering also from Pune, is still yet to have an interested enquirers for its products. “There is extremely low level of awareness in Nagaland we find. There is no exposure here” lamented one executive of the RND ENGG. He said that there was a lot to do. And is he discouraged? “No. Not at all. At least we are creating awareness that there are technology in poultry and meat processing too” he smiled.
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