Increasing farm productivity key to food security: Thomas
September 15th, 2011 - 7:45 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Sep 15 (IANS) Increasing agricultural productivity is a “key challenge for ensuring national food security,” according to Minister of State for Food and Agriculture K.V. Thomas.
Suggesting a programme in mission mode to bridge gaps in farm productivity, Thomas said: “Rainfed areas have a huge potential to raise production and increase farm income.”
He was addressing the Agriculture Leadership Summit 2011 on “Policy Reforms for Farm Growth” Wednesday.
Stating the role of technology, policies and infrastructure would be important in realizing the potential of rainfed agriculture, the food minister said “linking farmers to markets is a pre-requisite for augmenting farm production and farmers’ income”.
Pointing out that “there is a dire need to attract capital investment in agriculture through public and private participation, he said investment priorities must be oriented towards realistic growth of agriculture to meet the growing needs of the population.
Observing that “agriculture is confronted with new forms of risks and uncertainties related to natural calamities, global climate change, use of food for bio-fuels, uncertainty over prices, the food minister said role of knowledge system and institutional mechanisms for input supply, credit, crop and livestock insurance would be important in reducing both risks and uncertainties”.
Experts, including Rajya Sabha member M.S. Swaminathan, who mentored India’s Green Revolution, also participated in the meet, which took up issues of farm productivity, environmental challenges, land and subsidies reforms, food security and related issues.
“We will send our recommendations to the government,” said M.J. Khan, editor of Agriculture Today magazine whcih organised the meet.
- Rainfed-dryland farming needs more investment (Lead) - Feb 15, 2012
- Karnataka farmers to protest against agri-summit - Dec 01, 2011
- All time record in farm production: PM - Feb 20, 2012
- Food grain production could hit record 250 mn tonnes: PM (Lead) - Feb 15, 2012
- Karnataka holding agri-biz summit to woo investments - Nov 25, 2011
- Record 250 mn tonnes food grain production in 2012-13: PM - Feb 15, 2012
- President to chair governors' panel meet - Dec 14, 2011
- Bio-technology the only way to combat world hunger: Experts - Oct 20, 2011
- Need to integrate agriculture with other sectors: President - Nov 09, 2011
- Focus on small farmers to achieve food security: Swaminathan - Jun 15, 2010
- G-20 Summit Declaration - Jun 20, 2012
- Karnataka farmers' bid to disrupt agri-summit thwarted - Dec 01, 2011
- Scientist calls for tripling India's food production - Apr 20, 2011
- IMF warns of overheating in emerging economies - Apr 19, 2011
- Record food production in 2010-11, says president - Mar 12, 2012
Tags: agricultural productivity, agriculture leadership, bio fuels, bridge gaps, environmental challenges, farm productivity, food minister, global climate change, input supply, institutional mechanisms, investment priorities, leadership summit, livestock insurance, national food security, natural calamities, private participation, rainfed agriculture, rainfed areas, rajya sabha member, realistic growth