How AI can tackle the tomato crisis
Why ‘la tomatina’ in India has turned out as real ‘food fight’
In India, homemakers are having a tough time turning to alternatives to dish out tasty food at the dinner table and having to hunt through old cookbooks to find recipes to serve flavourful food for guests, as well as the men and children of the house. Tomato is almost a staple across states in India. But, suddenly, it disappeared from the markets around May-June. This continued till mid-August!
Tomato, grown as a rabi crop in such parts the country as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, reaches the market around March to August. After that, the kharif crop arrives at the market from Nashik, in Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh, among certain other parts of the country. To ensure a continuous supply of tomatoes to the market, farmers usually rotate the crops.
Earlier this year, around March-April, because of a bumper crop of tomatoes, the wholesale price of tomatoes suddenly fell to Rs 2-3 per kilogram, which was not sufficient to cover even their transport cost. Because of the glut in the markets, most farmers had no takers, which forced many of them to dump truckloads of tomatoes and abandon its cultivation. Whatever of the harvest was left was damaged by torrential rain in the middle of June, leading to a sudden tomato shortage.
Soon afterwards, the prices started rising. By July, tomatoes were retailing at Rs 200-250 per kilogram, with pests and the heat wave, among other factors, playing a key role in destroying tomato harvests. Usually, July is the month when the crop price reaches higher level than at other times of the year because it sits between harvests.
Every time something like this happens, farmers en masse shift to such crops, leading to over-production. Soon, the price rise turns into a price crash and this cycle goes on year after year—with potatoes, onions, tomatoes—and the list goes on.
It becomes the responsibility of the central and state governments to take up initiatives to help farmers. For instance, to meet the present shortage, the horticulture department in Karnataka has decided to distribute millions of seedlings. But, in reality, this may lead to another huge crisis due to possible over-production. The cropping pattern in India is, basically, influenced by such factors as soil, rainfall, temperature and weather conditions.
Cropping pattern is a changeable concept that refers to the dynamic shifts of areas under various crops at any given point of time. With major technological advancements, the cropping pattern can now be determined based on weather forecasts and market needs. But state governments often fail to take proactive roles, thus leading to farmers taking random decisions.
To prevent such scenarios regarding tomatoes in future, or for that matter any other crop, governments should issue advisory on what crops farmers can grow in different areas according to the likely demand for various agricultural products considering various factors. These include deficit rainfall in various parts of a state and weather forecasts. Unless farmers get timely guidance in such matters, they will carry on following unscientific practices to their own detriment and the country’s, too.
With major advancements in technology, agriculture is witnessing major changes. At present, there are many agriculture startups that are taking up farmer-friendly initiatives.
AI Impact on Agriculture
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture is likely to play a significant role in the coming years, as it has the potential to revolutionize the sector by improving crop yields, reducing waste and increasing efficiency. A report by MarketsandMarkets says that AI in the agriculture market is about to experience exponential growth, with the market size expected to grow from $2.35 billion in 2020 to $10.83 billion by 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35.6% during the forecast period.
One of the most notable advantages of AI in agriculture is collecting and analysing large amounts of data for farmers. This helps with informed decision-making and better yields that are essential for addressing such scenarios, besides tackling the growing global food crisis.
AI can also help farmers monitor climate changes, soil conditions and crop growth. Thus, they will be able to identify diseases early and take proper preventive measures before a crop gets damaged. AI will also continue to aid in forecasting weather changes, allowing farmers to plan their activities better and to take advantage of the optimal planting season.
Additionally, AI can assist in lowering waste and the use of resources, too. For instance, farmers can use AI to optimize the use of fertilizers and the amount of water on crops for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly practice. This optimization will reduce the risk of soil and water contamination, which has become a major concern nowadays.
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South Africa go on top, push Australia to second; India slide to third in WTC points table
Dubai, Dec 9: South Africa on Monday replaced Australia at the top of the ICC World Test Championship table after their massive 109-run over Sri Lanka while India are now in the third place following their defeat in the Adelaide Test.
South Africa now have 63.33 percentage points after 10 matches in the cycle and they are followed by Australia (60.71 PTC).
India were leading the WTC table, heading into the Adelaide Test after their massive win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener in Perth.
India had 61.11 points heading into the pink ball Test in Adelaide which they lost inside three days and they now stand third with 57.29 percentage points.
The best possible way for India to make a third appearance in the WTC final next year would be to win each of the three remaining Tests in Australia.
Australia had 57.69 percentage points before the Adelaide Test which improved to 60.71 after their win.
But even as they grabbed the top spot with the contest ending on Sunday, Australia remained table-toppers only for one day as the Proteas surged ahead with their win in the second Test at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.
With the Border-Gavaskar series now tied at 1-1, Australia are in a strong position for a top-two finish.
They will also tour Sri Lanka next year for an additional two Tests, meaning they could theoretically draw 2-2 with India and stay in contention for a place in the final.
Both England and New Zealand have been penalised with three WTC points each for slow over-rate in the Christchurch Test, according to the ICC.
South Africa on 🔝
— ICC (@ICC) December 9, 2024
The Proteas displace Australia at the summit of the #WTC25 standings after #SAvSL series sweep 👊
Latest state of play 👉 https://t.co/1TUUJ5ThVs pic.twitter.com/bXizReyaAu
