Experts stress research push to boost vegetable yields

Hyderabad: Experts at the 44th annual meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Vegetable Crops underscored that boosting vegetable production to meet rising demand will depend on sustained research, innovation and adoption of high-yield technologies.Nearly 300 scientists from across the country are participating in the four-day conference held from Feb 20 to 23 at Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University in Hyderabad.
Telangana agriculture secretary K Surendra Mohan announced that more than 800 farmers would be trained as volunteer resource persons in vegetable cultivation to help tackle shortages. He also outlined plans to enhance farm incomes through improved marketing systems and dissemination of best practices. Horticulture univetsity vice-chancellor D Rajireddy flagged a sharp decline in the area under vegetable cultivation in the State — from about three lakh acres to nearly one lakh acres — and stressed the urgent need to expand acreage. Rajesh Kumar of the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research said 60 research institutions have jointly developed around 640 new vegetable varieties, with current focus on high-yielding and virus-resistant strains. Sudhakar Pandey of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute highlighted the growing economic importance of horticulture, estimating the sector's value at ₹7.6 lakh crore. He emphasised the role of advanced technologies and research in developing climate-resilient varieties and reducing post-harvest losses, which are currently estimated at about ₹5,700 crore annually.