National horticulture fair in Bengaluru puts spotlight on nextgen technology

Bengaluru: The National Horticulture Fair (NHF) 2024, themed 'Nextgen Technology-led Horticulture for Sustainable Development', aims to spotlight innovations geared towards enhancing farmers' income, conserving water, and advocating sustainable practices.

With over 250 stalls showcasing diverse innovations and technologies within the horticulture sector, along with 238 live demonstrations featuring IIHR technologies, the fair — to be held till March 7 — has attracted farmers from 20 states, 50 ICAR institutes, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK), as well as numerous government organisations, NGOs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), and startups.

"On the first day, we had a footfall of more than 20,000 people,” said Dr TH Singh, Principal Scientist at IIHR. “We aim to host 1 to 1.5 lakh people in the three days of the fair.”

Singh showcased more than 25 breeds of eggplant with bacterial resistance. “We have hosted around 65 lakh people during our previous editions held online, but this time, most of the visitors are farmers,” he added.

In addition to innovative technology, the fair featured sustainable and economically rewarding varieties of fruits and vegetables, including Patty Pan, a lesser-known vegetable with promising yield potential.

Dr Raja Shankar, Principal Scientist at IIHR, shed light on Patty Pan's potential.

“Although it provides double the produce compared to conventional pumpkin varieties, Patty Pan remains unpopular in the country,” he told DH. “In 60 days, it gives approximately 55 tonnes of produce, while the conventional pumpkin provides only 35 tonnes in 150 days.”

He was hopeful that events like NHF would be a ground breaker in popularising such yields.

The fair proved beneficial not only for experienced large-scale farmers, but also for smaller landholders.

Satish Burde, a retired CEO of a leather company who recently bought land to farm, said, “Since my land has limited access to water and I do not possess the knowledge to farm, I am currently growing only one ragi crop in a year,” he said. “NHF has allowed me to interact with experienced farmers and I have come across a few solutions to the problem.”