Punjab – The land of five rivers is well known for its vast expanse of fertile soil and agriculture. Various new technologies have been used in order to increase the yield and make the crops resistant to pests and other diseases. Manufactures of farm equipment in Moga come up with unique technologies, but they are oblivious as to how to protect and cash in on their intellectual property. The case in question is the paddy straw reaper that leaves very little residue in the soil so that the next crop can be planted with ease, and is customized according to the need of Punjab farmers.
“Due to lack of awareness, some unique technologies, when displayed at exhibitions and fairs, get exposed to big and foreign manufacturers. So, it is important to make manufacturers aware of their intellectual property rights (IPR),” says Dr Neelima Jerath, Executive Director of the Punjab State Council for Science and Technology (PSCST), the institute which had set up Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) last year.
