To double the income of farmers by 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar invited new technologies and investment in the fields of waste water treatment, micro irrigation, precision farming, and crop innovation.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the 20th International Agritech in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, 8 May, Khattar sought collaborations in the fields of waste water treatment, micro irrigation, precision farming, crop innovation, and sprinkler system to assist and enable the farmers of the state to produce more and earn more.

The CM invited potential partners, companies, and research institutions from Israel to come forward and be a part of the growth story of Haryana. Stressing on the need for family and integrated farming to combat desertification, he said that integrated farming also reflected the social character of the joint family system in India.

Khattar said that ways should also be explored for the development of arid and semi-arid regions where industrialisation can play an important role. He disclosed that Haryana government is coming up with an industrial township of global standards in Sohna, which would serve as a catalytic agent for the development of the region.

Positioning Haryana as a leading state both in industry and agriculture, Khattar said the state had emerged as a preferred investment destination among foreign investors. He invited Israeli companies to come and invest in the shared future of Haryana and Israel.

Meanwhile, for bettering the economic lot of the farmers of Haryana, the CM, who is leading a high-level delegation to Israel, visited the fields near Tel Aviv and interacted with farmers to have first-hand account of the latest Israeli technology and expertise.

He also discussed in detail diversification and introduction of new crops which have enabled the farmers in Israel to double production while cutting down on the use of resources. The CM also interacted with captains of micro irrigation industries, including Nandan Jain, to know how best these practices there can be adopted in Haryana.

Micro irrigation is being adopted in Haryana for the cultivation of crops to save water. Micro irrigation system can work on just 30 per cent of the water generally consumed.

Besides, horticulture cultivation is catching the fancy of farmers in Haryana. While many farmers are taking to horticulture, those already into it are bringing more acres under vegetables and fruits.