Today’s Agriculture is not only a source of livelihood
Today’s Agriculture is not only a source of
livelihood but leading to job or entrepreneurship development: Radha Mohan
Singh
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister,
Shri Radha Mohan Singh today inaugurated the AMATHON, 2016- A Three Days
International Agriculture Trade Summit at IIM, Ahmadabad, Gujarat. Shri Singh
said that As you all know that today’s Agriculture is not only a source of
livelihood but leading to job or entrepreneurship development.
Today’s farmers
can not be self reliant only by using old farm techniques because Agri inputs
are costly and in order to use new Agriculture technologies, there is necessity
of more investment. That is why, it is necessary that our farmers should use
low cost based Agriculture technology to get more crop yield and increase
their income, so that the dreams of our Prime minister “ JAI KISAN JAI
VIGYAN” can be fulfilled.
Full text of Address of Shri Radha Mohan Singh is
as follows:
"Honorable entrepreneurs, educationists, researchers and all the invitees
in this Agriculture Trade Summit associated with agriculture and rural
enterprises. Today, I am feeling extremely happy to grace this occasion that
this platform is jointly being used to deliberate upon various aspects of
entrepreneurship development and innovative efforts made in this field of
agriculture. I hope that the outcome emerged out after deliberations, debates
and discussions during the summit shall result into the joint development of
agriculture, rural and entrepreneurs. This kind of event and platform is one of
the effective steps for the development of the States in all sectors of
agricultural enterprises and to identify the constraints being faced in
agri-entrepreneurship and future challenges. Undoubtedly, This forum
would provide the opportunity by integrating our agriculture knowledge and
create new values and taking effective steps to achieve the targets.
Today, with the entire world, our country is also making various effective
efforts in the field of agriculture technology, agriculture trade and
enterprise. In view of globalization, the agri-entrepreneurs, scientists
and farmers of our country and various departments of Central and State
government are making concerted efforts to move forward collaboratively
with global fraternity. However, besides formulating a joint strategy, there is
a need for discussions, deliberations and coordination to achieve the targets
of agriculture development.
Today, our farmers have accepted the challenge of food production
in the country and their mindset has been completely changed after green
revolution. There is a continuous rise in pressure in agriculture sector due to
constraints like increasing population, climate change, change in food habits,
high investment, reducing land holdings and market sensitiveness. Today,
India’s food security has been strengthened due to significant success in food
production and productivity increased in milk production through White
Revolution and fish production through Blue Revolution.
Agriculture is being developed more
sustainable occupation and profitable by increasing production, entrepreneurship,
cooperativeness and crop innovations. According to National Sample Survey,
approximately 90 percent farmers possess land holdings less than 2 hectare, out
of which 42 percent farmers have taken loans from banks and 26 percent are
still dependent upon money lenders. 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. Farmers are feeling helpless. In this
regard, we have introduced new scheme ‘Attracting and Retaining Youth in
Agriculture (ARYA)’ so that rural youth may get attracted towards farming to
curb rural migration.
Extensive
awareness is being created among farmers about agri-business, profitable
production systems, new research. programmes & schemes of Agriculture
Departments, domestic and global level markets and other stakeholders. Our
Government is committed towards dissemination of agricultural technologies. 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. In addition to
research, we have 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.
In line with the far reaching and futuristic guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister
for increasing the income of the farmers, we have launched various schemes for
agriculture development and in the interest of farmers. Ambitious schemes like ‘Pradhan
Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana’ is being implemented to
provide irrigation to every field; ‘Soil Health Card’ to improve soil
fertility, ‘Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana’ for bringing more area under
organic farming; ‘Agri-tech Infrastructure Fund’ and ‘National Agriculture
Market’ for providing remunerative prices to farmers. Keeping in view the
continuous intensive cultivation of land, which resulted in reduced soil
fertility, the ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ has been launched by the Hon’ble Prime
Minister.
In order to promote Soil Health Management, Government provides assistance to
State Governments for setting up Soil Testing Laboratories, Fertilizer Testing
Laboratories as well as implementing of organic farming project
across the country. Soil Health Cards will be made available to 14 crore
farmers during next three years.
The Government is committed to promote Organic Farming which improves soil
health and leads to better quality crops.Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana,
a new scheme to develop ogranic clusters and make available chemical free
inputs to farmers will be implemented. In the next three years, it is proposed
to form 10,000 cluster covering 5 lakh acre area. This scheme is being
implemented through the State government.
Government of India is committed to accord high priority to water security. The
objective behind Pradhan Mantri Krish Sinchai Yojna is “Har
Khet Ko Paani’. To achieve synergy of resources, collaboration has
been established amongst Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare,
Ministry of Water Resources and Department of Land Resources to implement Pradhan
Mantri Krish Sinchai Yojna (PMKSY)
Cultivation of pulses under NFSM has been started in Jammy & Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, UttraKhand and all North-Eastern States.
In the wake of price hike of onions and potatoes in 2014-15, and the Finance
Minister’s budget announcement, the Department of Agriculture ,
Cooperation & Farmers Welfare has launched the Price
Stabilization Fund scheme as price control measure to dampen the
impact on consumers.
the Department has taken a step to formulate a scheme for
implementation for National Agriculture Market through Agri-Tech
Infrastructure Fund (AITF) with an allocation of Rs. 200 crore.. ATIF is
aimed at implementation of an appropriate common e- market platform to regulate
585 regulated wholesale markets in the states across the country.
Agriculture marketing sector today presents a scenario wherein the market is
fragmented not only amongst states but even within states into different market
areas each governed by separate Marketing Committee thus entailing requirement
of multiple licences for trading, levy of market fee and restrictive marketing
practices which hinder both proper market access for farmers and also the
development of required infrastructure for handling the produce. To overcome
impediments in marketing of agriculture produce, the Ministry has initiated National
Agriculture Market scheme.
Indigenous bovine breeds of India are robust and posses the genetic potential
and play a crucial role in the national economy. Their population
has been declining and their performance is below the potential at present due
to the absence of a specific programme on development and conservation of
indigenous breeds.
Keeping in view the urgent need to take up a
specific programme for the development and conservation of indigenous bovine
breeds, the “Rashtriya Gokul Mission”, launched for the first time, with a view
to conserve and develops indigenous bovine breeds in a focused and scientific
manner.
The new Government at the centre has initiated “Blue Revolution” to take
forward the fishery sector as it will contribute to the betterment of livehood
of fishermen, fisher women and aquaculture fish farmers, besides providing high
energy proteins for tackling protein malnutrition, healthy Omega-3 oil
supplementation and creation of rural employment through ancillary industries
like packaging, transportation, ice manufacturing, processing etc.
Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav invisages involvement
agricultural experts of agricultural universities and ICAR institutes for
effective and deeper reach of scientific farming to the villages. For this
purpose 5, 000 groups of four scientists each will be visiting 25,000 villages
in a year duing their holidays or vacations. Each year 25, 000 villages will be
added to this list through this scheme.
IARI initiated novel scheme Krishi Dak in 20 districts in
which postmen will supply
seeds of improved varieties of crops to the
farmers in far-flung areas. Owing to its success and popularity, this scheme is
being extended in 100 districts of 14 states with the association of Krishi
Vigyan Kendras. This will provide improved seed to farmers at their doorsteps.
As you all know that today’s Agriculture is not only a source of livelihood but
leading to job or entrepreneurship development. Today’s farmers can not be self
reliant only by using old farm techniques because Agri inputs are costly and in
order to use new Agriculture technologies, there is necessity of more
investment. That is why, it is necessary that our farmers should use low cost
based Agriculture technology to get more crop yield and increase their
income, so that the dreams of our Prime minister “ JAI KISAN JAI
VIGYAN” can be fulfilled.
Our Government has made concerted efforts for overall development of
Agriculture sector. With a view to actualize the welfare sentiment of farmers,
the name of Mnistry of Agriculture has now been changed to “Minstry of
Agriculture and Farmers welfare” so that
ministry should work for Agriculture development as well as farmers welfare.
All these efforts will succeed only when, our entrepreneurs along with farmers
and departments . of agriculture of various states promise together
for sustainable agriculture development and promotion of entrepreneurship
in the rural areas.
In the last, I tender my heartiest greetings for grand success of international
Agriculture Summit being organized in the leadership of IIM Ahemedabad for the
farmers’ welfare and development."
**********
Rabi Crops Sowing Crosess 577 Lakh
Hactare
As
per preliminary reports received from the States, the total area sown under
Rabi crops as on 15th January, 2015 stands at
577.30 lakh hectares.
Wheat has been sown/transplanted in 288.98 lakh hectares, pulses in 136.39
lakh hectares, coarse cereals in 58.18 lakhhectares. Area sown under oilseeds
is 74.91 lakh hectares and Rice is 18.84 lakh
hectares.
Lakh hectare
|
Crop
|
Area
sown in 2015-16
|
Area
sown in 2014-15
|
|
Wheat
|
288.98
|
303.51
|
|
Pulses
|
136.39
|
139.94
|
|
Coarse
Cereals
|
58.18
|
54.58
|
|
Oilseeds
|
74.91
|
77.79
|
|
Rice
|
18.84
|
19.96
|
|
Total
|
577.30
|
595.78
|
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