January 21, 2016
Indian minister speaks about developments in national agriculture sector
Agriculture inputs have risen in cost, rendering conventional farming methods more economically unviable, according to Radha Mohan Singh, India''s Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister.
Therefore, local farmers should employ low-cost agriculture technology to boost crop yield and increase income, he said, during the three-day AMATHON agriculture trade summit.
"In order to use new agriculture technologies, there is a necessity for more investment", Singh added.
While various players from the private and government sectors are progressing collaboratively with the global fraternity as part of globalisation, there is a need for discourses and planning to fulfil objectives of agriculture development.
In addition, Singh acknowledged that India''s farmers have come to terms with the country''s food production challenges, having changed their mindsets following a "green revolution".
"There is a continuous rise in pressure within the agriculture sector due to constraints like increasing population, climate change, change in food habits, high investment, reducing land holdings and market sensitiveness," he explained.
Nevertheless, India''sfood security has expanded, backed by positive outcomes in food, milk and fish production, Singh said.
The minister also highlighted concerns over the growth of the farming sector. "In the present context, due to adverse circumstances such as climate change, increasing cost of inputs, lack of remunerative prices of farm produce, farmers are in distress and rural youths are not taking interest in farming," he noted.
Therefore, the "Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture" (ARYA) scheme has been launched to entice young people into farming. Awareness is also being propagated among farmers about agri-business, profitable production systems, new research programmes and relevant schemes, according to Singh.
Moreover, India supports the proliferation of agricultural technologies, he added.
"Large numbers of extension workers of State Agriculture and allied departments working at district level are being trained through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) on practical aspects of improved technologies and are successfully disseminating technologies to the farmers," Singh said.
"We have (also) emphasised on technology development and its overall dissemination at field level. With this, we are moving ahead towards the significant progress in production of pulses, fruits, vegetables, milks, fisheries and eggs."
-ANI