Farmers, who make up around 60% of the country’s population, are still struggling to meet ends owing to unpredictable monsoons, poor infrastructure, the need for skilled labour, quality of soil and seeds, and low use of farm technologies.
Food production in India needs to be increased by 70% over the next 30 years. If we don’t bring technology to agriculture, I don't see how we are going to get there.
Could hydroponics help?
Hydroponics is a revamped agricultural technique that can aid in producing healthier, fresh, and more nutritious food having a longer shelf life, thereby creating a healthier ecosystem. Its inclusion in agriculture helps avoid wastage of water and land while providing the farmers with climate-controlled greenhouses to optimize crop production and crop quality throughout the year.
Some estimates suggest use of hydroponics cuts down the time to just half of what it takes to grow from seed to harvest for traditional farming.
Is hydroponics a technology that can provide such benefits on scale? If yes, what can be done to integrate it with the Indian agricultural ecosystem?
