The idea was to acquaint visitors from all over the world with the latest innovations of Israel's advanced agricultural technology. The `Agritech '99' was a professional exhibition, combining diverse activities in all fields of agriculture, starting with agricultural planning, computerisation, technological developments and machinery, and ending in agricultural produce.

The 99 Agritech Exhibition displayed 260 exhibits in a 35,000 square meter open area and a 13,000 square meter covered area. The exhibition also included exhibits from other countries such as the United States, Italy, Spain, France and India.

However, despite India's achievement in agriculture for decades, the Indian Pavilion was poorly represented at Agritech '99. In fact, the selection of exhibits such as few coir articles and few pictures of agricultural activity gave visitors a very poor picture of the Indian agriculture.

In fact, the attraction to Indian pavilion was to the stalls of eateries like batatavada and Punjabi samosa, which the delegates from the India and other countries relished.

From India, various organisation like Orbit, Marhatta Chamber of Commerce, Panand Mahamandal had organised tours to this global exhibition on agriculture. This was visited by more than 800 delegates.

Amongst Indian visitors included businessmen, consultants, agricultural officers, and above all hard core farmers. Still, many key Indian personalities were conspicuous by their absence because of elections.

Over 1,00,000 people visited the Agritech '99, including 7,000 visitors from abroad. Mayor of Haifa, Amram Mitzna made special arrangements to ensure an enjoyable stay for the guests.

Israel's agricultural sector is characterised by an intensive system of production stemming from the need to overcome the scarcity in natural resources, particularly water and arable land. The constant growth in agricultural production is due to the close cooperation and positive interaction between researchers, extensionists, farmers and agro-industries. These four factors develop and apply new methods in all agricultural branches.

The result is modern agriculture in a country more than half of whose area is desert. The spirit with which Israelis have achieved this unparalleled success in agriculture is not just sheer hard work, but also due to unstinted love and affection for their country.

Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has blossomed from pastoral economy exporting mostly agricultural products to a knowledge-based powerhouse serving global markets.

Today Israeli goods exports total almost $23 billion and grew by 6 per cent in 1998. Exports of agrotechnology products and systems now exceed $1.5 billion annually, while additional exports of $1.2 billion takes place of fresh and processed agricultural products.

This economic revolution has not come about by chance. With few natural resources, little water and limited arable land, Israel has focussed on developing its human talent. OECD figures place Israel at the top of its list, devoting 150 per cent of the OECD average to education. And with 20% of high school graduates going on to earn academic degree, Israel ranks second worldwide.

This investment, augmented by a large cadre of engineers and scientists from the former Soviet Union, has resulted in academic and technical graduates comprising more than 25 per cent of the country's work force.

The Industry & Trade Ministry's office of the chief scientist is a key promoter of research and development. A national network of industrial incubators, each of whose more than 2,500 start-up companies is striving to develop and bring its innovations to export markets, benefits from the office's annual budget of more than $450 million.

This support helped draw more than $2 billion in direct foreign investment in 1998, much of it aimed at these young companies, while further $400 million entered the Israel via international public share offering.

It is indeed amazing to note that researchers at Israel's seven major academies, focus the country's research efforts, publish more papers per capita than their counterparts in any other country and develop substantial resources to improving Israel's agrotechnology expertise. These facilities are often used by start-up companies to advance their development programmes, while the country's agricultural schools serve as open air-laboratories for agricultural innovations.

These were evident in various stalls. For example, development of bumble bees to pollinate the agricultural crops like tomatoes in green houses plants to increase the rate of 5-25 per cent. This was achieved by Polyam plant located in Kibbutz Yad Mordechai. The bumble bees are grown in sophisticated, climate controlled laboratories.

Due to long term research and cultivation, as well as stringent design and control systems the colonies are of the high quality with long life expectancy. The colonies do not require any care or maintenance by the farmers and can be integrated with ventilation system of a green house.

Yet in another stall one sees the innovative sensors to measure the wetness of foliage in green house which enable controlled water use.

Israel's small size, its informal culture, its tradition of communal agricultural villages and an early need for self-sufficiency have led to much interdisciplinary cooperation. Academicians and entrepreneurs in many areas including agricultural biotechnology, electronics, metallurgy and plastics benefit from close working relationships.

(The author works for Biotechnology Resource Centre, Mumbai, and was a member of delegation sent by Marhatta Chamber of Commerce, Pune, to Agritech '99)