category Regional, chandigarh, , tags Regional, chandigarh, , DW BUREAU Chandigarh Punjab Horticulture Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, on Tuesday, met a high-level delegation from Israel to explore opportunities for collaboration in advancing agricultural technologies in Punjab. Building on the existing partnership in horticulture projects, the meeting emphasized the need for a digital revolution in farming. During the meeting with Ms. Hadas Bakst, Political Domestic Advisor Embassy of Israel New Delhi, at his office here at Punjab Civil Secretariat, Cabinet Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra stated that the underground water in Punjab is depleting rapidly, a critical issue that needs urgent attention. He asked the Israel delegation to provide high-yielding and disease virus-free horticultural varieties requiring less water. The Cabinet Minister also called for providing farm-to-market technology to facilitate the marketing of all Kinnow produce in the event of a bumper crop in the state. He highlighted key areas for collaboration, including digital solutions for pest control, climate and soil monitoring systems, AI for crop yields, decision support systems, drones for harvesting and sprays, as well as precision farming software solutions. The discussion also touched upon the potential of year-round cultivation in greenhouses and hydroponic farming to address the increasing demand for food. The Horticulture Minister, while emphasizing the introducing high-tech agricultural machinery, harvesting machines, tree shakers, cultivators, rotary mulchers and special field robots, focused on extending to sensor technology-based irrigation systems and innovative storage solutions for efficient and sustainable farming. Addressing the need for advancements in citrus cultivation, S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra proposed the integration of By-Product Technologies to manage bio-waste effectively. He said that on an average a single piece of Kinnow mandarin fruit contains 45-50 juice and the rest of the percentage is occupied by peel, rag and seeds, which so far of no use. So introduction of new machinery at processing units for management of bio-waste of citrus such as extraction of limonin, peel oil etc. will help a lot. He also asked to introduce new patented citrus varieties, rootstocks resistant to pests and the cultivation of new crops like Dragon Fruit and Raspberries. In the vegetable sector, the Minister advocated for the introduction of Parthenocarpic (seedless) varieties of melons, single-picking varieties of peas and tomatoes suitable for mechanization and brinjal varieties resistant to fruit and shoot borers. (editor dailyworld.in)