Scientific knowledge when put to routine use for the benefit of humankind is called technology. Technology transfer is actually a structural process of learning, and requires a careful, well thought out plan, clearly communicable ideas and a range of formal and informal co-operation between technology developer and technology recipient. Acceptance of any new technology depends upon its ability to bring about economic benefits at all levels of a society while maintaining eco-friendliness, self-sustainability of the system, and social and cultural compatibility. Technologies in agriculture mean the knowledge used to produce goods and services like new plant variety, improved breeds of animal species, new agricultural practices for better yield, packaging materials for transport of produce, methods to convert farming wastes to new high value resources and prevention of environmental pollution, high efficient irrigation systems, traditional knowledge for use of medicinal plants, traditional practices for treating indigenous disease. All these technologies are aimed at increasing productivity at the farm level in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner concomitantly with safeguarding the plant and animal lives through proper prophylaxis and management. According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the future production of food for 10 billion people by 2050 will be contributed 10% by the expansion of land, 20% by the intensification of agriculture production, and 70% by the application of technology. Technologies in agriculture assume paramount significance in view of their potential to feed and generate employment forever increasing population, thus very rightly being used as main weapon to double the farmers’ income. Resist-to-change, considered as a main reason responsible for the backwardness of farmers has completely waned off. Tech savvy farmers are pro-actively ready to adopt any new technology seemingly beneficial to them; likewise farmer’s mind set transformed from subsidy seeking lot to entrepreneurship. Emerging unprecedented changing scenario have added new dimensions for technology developers and refiners, leaving them with no option but to focus precisely on demand driven and technology transfer oriented research programmes.
Everything can wait but not Agriculture. Technologies developed in the form of hard-earned knowledge, elite seed material both plant and animal, equipment processes, methodologies need to be transferred at an appropriate timing for their effective acceptance and implementation by end users. SKUAST-K, the only premier agricultural institute of valley, very appropriately conducts 2 day Technology Exhibition-cum-Seed Mela during months of February/March with renewed energy and enthusiasm every year attracting lacs of people from across all the sections of the society. Providing a huge platform for direct people-to-people contact, one of the best methods of technology transfer, this mega event is aimed at achieving the goals of technological transfer in a very effective manner and at the same time receiving the feedback from all the concerned beneficiaries. Having gained so much popularity among the masses of the valley, hopefully in near future specific days would get fixed for its celebration on the analogy of World Food day, World Veterinary day, making its celebration a permanent and time bound feature.
This is not the only occasion and way, farm related technologies are being transferred. Every available communication channel, method and occasion are being availed off unfailingly by every scientist of the university across all the faculties, research stations, centres, institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs),etc., for technology transfer through an appropriate medium and at proper timing commensurating with each technology. KVKs, one established in each district of the valley, are mainly tasked with the job of localisation and harmonisation of technology to make it technically fit with the environmental conditions and compatible with the prevailing agriculture system in the target area. To my utter surprise and belief, these KVKs are working unflinchingly round the clock to achieve their fixed targets. KVKs do not transfer the technology in crude form but refine it to suit the locally felt needs. Technologies are subjected to test and confirmation process by using various internationally recognised parameters. Once confirmed, technically feasible, economically viable, socially acceptable, infrastructurally compatible, these technologies are transferred mostly adopting practical approach by conducting training through learning by doing. These endeavours make our KVKs innovative institutions providing effective linkage among researchers, farmers and extension workers.
No stone is being left unturned to achieve evergreen revolution through technology development, refinement and transfer in agriculture and allied sectors for socio-economic upliftment of the society. Simultaneously other programmes like plant/animal clinical camps, diagnostic visits, monthly workshops, Kissan Goshties, Kissan Melas, agricultural advisories, interfaces are conducted on regular basis to increase the productivity and production of agricultural produce. At the same time, we can hardly afford to ignore the health aspect of our livestock. Livestock owners are mostly either marginal farmers or landless farmers, depending primarily upon animals for their economic and nutritional security. Death of the animal(s), especially of milking cow, leaves the family devastated and its death mourned and consoled like the loss of a beloved family member. Veterinary Clinical Complex, only referral veterinary clinic in whole Kashmir valley, and last hope for the farmers, is doing its best to deliver all the services within its limited resources round the clock on 24×7 basis. Delivery of clinical services were continued with, even during lockdowns in the form of well thought out alternative modality Telemedicine. This awesome innovative mechanism was created in the form of ladder web with the veterinary scientists/clinicians at the top and farmers at the bottom with both way flow of information through intermediaries of veterinary internees, field veterinarians and field para-vets just to help the livestock owners to get their ailing animals treated at their doorsteps. Nevertheless, admittedly we are lagging behind as compared to other contemporary premier institutes of the country in applying new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for the welfare of farming community. Credited with being the highest and ultimate seat of learning, once well resourced, well-staffed and appropriately equipped, highly trained pass out veterinary graduates abreast with all advanced techniques would prove extraordinarily beneficial to the society and moreover they being definitely highly employable in competitive market. Furthermore, field oriented advanced technologies could be developed, refined and disseminated among the field veterinarians for their capacity building to mitigate the sufferings of poor livestock farmers. Veterinary clinical complex has to be preferred necessarily with the attention it deserves, if we really mean business.
SKUAST-K, leading university in Agriculture, primarily mandated with redressal of farming issues, lags behind nowhere, its technology and expertise are relevantly required to face the challenges posed to the society. Conduct of research in human gastric cancer by veterinary scientists, active contribution in covid-19 diagnosis and management through men, material and expertise supply, testing and evaluation of other human medicine related equipment like innovative yet simplistic ventilator for covid-19 patients, no doubt in colloboration with medical institutes of Kashmir valley, redressal of social issue like dog menace through animal birth control and immunisation programme, totally controlled and operated by university scientists could be cited as few classical examples in this regard.
Technology development and transfer being dynamic processes, and ours leading university, we ought not to be complacent with, but more ahead in continuous search for finding affordable, impactful and safe technologies for our ever ready progressive farmers and highly educated entrepreneurs but not forgetting in this race landless poor farmer. For scaling up the sustainability, we shall have to develop farm led, market driven, rural business oriented innovation agricultural system where in, not technology transfer but technology transfer acceleration via both horizontal as well as vertical modes, not for technology recipient but for technology seeker would become achievable through private public partnership but not without maintaining agro ecology. An old saying “Give a man fish he will eat for a day, teach him fishing he will eat for rest of the days”, dreamingly should not hold good in near future. An entrepreneur and a progressive farmer, if rightly guided and properly equipped with relevant advanced technologies, are expected to feed many families besides their own, through employment generation, whether direct or indirect.
Author is Chief scientist and Head, Veterinary Clinical Complex, F. V. Sc. & A. H., Shuhama, SKUAST-K