Ahmedabad, Dec 9 (PTI) The Dutch government is in talks with the Gujarat administration to open a Centre of Excellence on “saline farming” in the coastal state to help farmers undertake agricultural activities on salt-affected soils, the European country’s trade office here said on Thursday.
Amlan Bora, Trade and Investment Commissioner at the Netherlands Business Support Office (NBSO) in Ahmedabad, said it has started discussions with the Gujarat government to open a Centre of Excellence on saline farming.
“Discussions are already happening in Gujarat to create a Centre of Excellence in saline farming. A huge percentage of land in Gujarat has a lot of salinity, not just near the sea coast but also well inside the land. The Netherlands is having a similar problem, because the land is below sea level,” Bora told reporters.
He said people in the Netherlands have developed expertise in saline farming.
“Using the technology developed by Dutch seed companies, water companies and a top university, the Dutch have developed a way to cultivate in saline soils. It requires less fresh water,” he said.
The Dutch government has so far set up seven Centres of Excellence in different parts of India, said Marten van den Berg, Ambassador of the Netherlands to India, Nepal and Bhutan.
Speaking to reporters at NBSO, the Ambassador told reporters, “It is very much possible that we may start a Centre of Excellence in Gujarat.” Berg was leading a delegation of Dutch companies which are participating in ‘Agri Asia 2021’, an international exhibition and conference on agricultural technologies being held between December 9 and 11 at helipad ground in Gandhinagar.
One of the Dutch companies, Yassasree, is offering solutions to convert paddy straws, a by-product of rice cultivation, into methane gas, which can be used as source of energy such as cooking gas.
Notably, air pollution due to stubble burning in north India has become a major cause of concern as farmers burn several tons of crop waste from their paddy fields after harvesting.
“For north India, we are looking at the creation of energy in the form of gas, through anaerobic digestion, a process of decomposition in the absence of oxygen. It releases methane, which is a form of energy. It will help farmers in earning additional income and also create business opportunity,” said Yassasree representative Sanne van den Dungen.
“We have already initiated talks with the Punjab government for that. We have intentions to set up (bio-gas) plants in Punjab and Haryana. However, the project got delayed due to the COVID-19 outbreak,” she added. PTI PJT PD RSY RSY
