Netherlands University, AU set to raise AP\'s farm and marine productions
Visakhapatnam: Andhra University (AU) will collaborate with Wageningen University and Research (WUR), Netherlands, in research projects in agriculture as also food and marine domains.
“This will put AP at the forefront of agriculture and marine production in the country and introduce here the best agro-friendly technological practices that would meet the local soil requirements and conditions, AU vice chancellor Prof PVGD Prasad Reddy said.
WUR is a public university specializing in technical and engineering subjects and a key center for life sciences and agricultural research. A team from WUR recently visited AU to hold preliminary discussions.
The vice chancellor said, “It is too early to talk in detail about this. We are looking for a tie-up. Discussions are on. The first round of the meet was held."
AU Incubation Council (AUIC) chief executive officer Ravi Eswarapu said the Syngenta Foundation executive director Baskar Reddy met the AU management to discuss the matter. “The aim is to guide farmers towards self-sustainability without depending on the evaluation of the government.”
“Notably, representatives of WUR and Syngenta are natives of AP,” Ravi said, adding that the partnership would focus not only on the agricultural sector but also on the sea.
Geographically, the north coastal area of AP (NAP) is similar to the Netherlands. Both areas have the same kind of land. But if NAP produces 20kg of tomato from an area, the yield will be 400 kg from as much space in the Netherlands because of its best farming practices, he said.
According to the sources in the agriculture department, some 60-65 per cent of the population in AP is engaged in agriculture. More emphasis is placed here on rice production. AP contributes to about 75-80 per cent of paddy yield in India. Some of the other crops here are ragi, tobacco, pulses and sugarcane.
AP ranks first with 46.23 lakh metric tonnes (MT) and a 29.4 per cent share in India’s total fish production. It provides livelihood to 16.5 lakh people in the state, which has a share of 36 per cent in the country’s fish exports.
