The Tifac's document, `Technology Vision 2020' has recommended enhancing agricultural productivity in the eastern part of the country where the current level productivity level is about one-fifth of that in Punjab and Haryana.

Increased agricultural productivity in this region will be a key for ensuring food security for the country in future.

In this connection a science and technology experimental project is being taken up jointly by Tifac and Kalinga Engineering Ltd, Bhubaneshwar for agricultural development as well as village sustainability in Orissa. Once successful, this strategy will be applied to the eastern region as a whole, besides other parts of the country.

Already the UP government has sought the cooperation of Tifac in a number of areas for the development of its backward and hilly districts. The Centre has decided to convert the `Technology Vision 2000' document into mission project with the help of Rs 50 crore assistance provided in the current budget.

In the Orissa experimental project, the stress will be on watershed management for increasing agricultural productivity. The project is being taken up in three phases.

The first phase relates to water resource development in three priority stages while the second phase will concentrate on identifying cropping pattern and farming of different varieties of produces including training of farmers. Phase three will focus on introduction and choice of tiny industries.

In collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Tifac has also embarked upon a programme to create and operationalise the Andhra Pradesh Technology Development and Promotion Centre. The aim of the centre is to create specialised networks to help the small and medium enterprises in the state to become globally competitive.

Tifac has helped UP in the finalisation of the state's programme of the `Technology Vision 2000'. The programmes envisages implementation of 12 projects in the areas of agriculture, agro-food processing and road transportation.

Tifac has signed a MoU with the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation for exploring areas of cooperation in industrialisation of the state. One of the projects initiated is on effective use of marble slurry.

For Bihar, Tifac has developed a project called `Systems approach to agricultural productivity' for increasing production in low productivity areas, which is under implementation.

At the request of the Sikkim Government, Tifac has prepared a report called `Germplasm Conservation : A Vision of Sikkim.' The Government has since initiated steps for implementation of the proposals made in the report.The study conducted by the `Flyash Mission' of the Union ministry of science and technology has shown a significant increase in the yield of crops in flyash treated plots of land in paddy-wheat cropping system in alluvial soils at Farakka and in multi-cropping system in laterite soils at Birbhum in West Bengal.

The effect of trace of heavy metals and radioactive elements of flyash on soil health, ground water quality and their uptake by crop was also studied and the data did not reveal anything of serious concern.

These two projects namely bulk utilisation of flyash from Farakka super thermal power station in agriculture and reclamation of degraded lands in Murshidabad district and bulk scale utilisation of coalash from Bakreshwar thermal power plant in agricultural land of Birbhum district were carried out by the Central Fuel Research Institute, Dhanbad.

Model dairy farm
TIFAC in association with Milkfed, Punjab and Milk Union, Ludhiana is developing a demonstration model dairy farming in Punjab. The focus is on milk yield, productivity, quality, hygiene, improved feeding system and farm management practices besides introduction of mechanised cooling and quality testing facilities.This project is expected to increase milk yield, decreasing the acidic content in the milk, saving the the milk from spillages and ensure cost-effective quality milk production.