Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) At a time when the prices of food grains are soaring, President Pratibha Patil Saturday called for an agricultural renaissance in the country.
“With availability of land and water limited, growth in agriculture can be achieved by increasing productivity per unit through effective use of improved technology. Our need, therefore, is for a critical mass of agricultural scientists who work towards an agricultural renaissance,” Patil said here.

“Moreover, food production cost has been increasing. Faced with the situation, we need to look at agricultural strategies that maximize productivity and generate income and employment for the rural population.”

Patil was speaking at the 48th Convocation of the Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), a flagship institute for Agricultural Research and Education of the country.

“Areas like efficient and sustainable use of soil nutrients and water, location specific farming systems with a proper mix of crops and livestock, especially for rain-fed areas are important.

“India has a rich base of indigenous knowledge which has been developed over a long period of time. It should be a combination of traditional knowledge, as well as new and frontier technologies that can be used for agriculture in India,” the president explained.

Patil said that while India has achieved some progress since 1960, there is a need to do more to make the country self-sufficient and handle the growing demand in the thickly populated country.

“We have achieved much since independence. Wheat and rice production have gone up due to the Green Revolution. Milk production has increased on account of the White Revolution. This has contributed to the augmentation of the food basket of the country. Yet, there is much to be accomplished.

“Taking the example of rice - our average crop yield in 2008 was 3.3 tons per hectare, roughly double the average that our farmers were getting in 1960, but half of the yield in China and also less than that of Vietnam, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

“In wheat productivity, gains have also been impressive. It is 2.8 tons per hectare, triple of that we had in 1960, but half of what is produced in the European Union countries. We need to bridge these productivity gaps,” she highlighted.