Information Technology in Agriculture

Today's Scenarionumber of hungry people has gone away. Between
Agriculture is the sector which continues to sit on thenow and 2050 the world's population will rise by a
driver's seat and will remain so forever as long as wethird, but demand for agricultural goods will rise by
don't get rid of stomachs; So it becomes fairly70%." Usual business is not going to better the
important for any reform or revolution to addressestimates, as the panacea lies in the maximum
this sector and in this race information technologyinvolvement of information technology in agricultural
has been the front runner.research and knowledge transfer.
Information technology has led from the front in theAgriculture sector has stood against the time and
information sharing process among the Agroachieved green, white, yellow, blue and cyber
scientists, Engineers, Farmers and Students. Becauserevolutions over the time.
of the core dependency of information technologyAvailability of information and effectively using this
on Internet might have restricted the reach of theinformation is crucial for successful economic
information but situation will not remain so for long.development. Information about expert suggestions,
Now scientists from all over the world collaboratematerial inputs, financial support, technological
over the internet, for sharing the information aboutinnovations and changing market conditions have
the research on land fertility, seed hybridization,huge impact on agriculture equally as the case with
reducing the man efforts and making the farmingany other sector.
environment less challenging and cost effective.How well the Agriculture involves information
Future Guidelinestechnology in itself, will play a major role in
In an edition of "The economist", I encountereddetermining the future well being of those who have
something which could trigger anxiety in anyonedirect dependency on agriculture for livelihood,
when it states "1974 Henry Kissinger, then America'sespecially in developing countries like India.
secretary of state, told the first world foodIn this context, it is most prudent to extend the
conference in Rome that no child would go to bedbenefits of IT to agriculture and not to
hungry within ten years. Just over 35 years later, inunderestimate the tremendous growth potential to
the week of another United Nations food summit inbe unleashed in this sector.
Rome, 1 billion people will go to bed hungry. ThisSovereigns of all the countries must take moves in
failure, already dreadful, may soon get worse. Noneorder to mobilize farmers, scientists, institutions and
of the underlying agricultural problems which producedorganizations for promoting involvement of
a spike in food prices in 2007-08 and increased theInformation Technology in Agriculture.