Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated that the Union government is resolved to mobilise small farmers into farmer producer organisations (FPOs) and make them influential market forces in the years to come to improve their incomes by developing agriculture value chain.
“We are also committed to save the farming community from the impact of climate change with focus on back to basics in fusion with march to future. In that direction, impetus was given to digital agriculture, natural and chemical-free farming in the recent budget and it will throw open a world of opportunities to the youth too,” the Prime Minister said at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at Patancheru here on Saturday.
Speaking after launching the celebrations and inaugurating two new research facilities — Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and Rapid Generation Advancement Facility — he said drought proofing work was also going on in 170 districts across the country. He mentioned the successful example of ICRISAT’s work in Bundelkhand on ‘per drop more crop’, on which he visited an exhibition stall too at ICRISAT.
Stating that small and marginal farmers comprised about 80% of the community in the country and climate change was major crisis to them, the Prime Minister said the Centre would help them fight climate change with its commitment to achieve net zero (carbon emissions) by 2070.
The Prime Minister stated that the new mediums would be made available to the farming community to overcome the challenges and problems in the agriculture sector as part of the Centre’s plans for the next 25 years. As part of the national mission to achieve self reliance in oilseeds/edible oils production, the Centre would be promoting oilpalm cultivation in 6.5 lakh hectares over the next 5 years.
“Government of India will also help farmers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in taking up oilpalm cultivation on a large scale. I am told that farmers in Telangana have huge plans for the plantation crop. Centre will help them in their efforts,” the Prime Minister said.
Dwelling into the details of allocations made to agriculture in the recent budget, he stated that digital farming would include extensive use of kisan drones for crop assessment, insecticide and nutrient spraying, digitisation of land records and the youth would have huge opportunities. “ICRISAT may work together with ICAR in digital farming area too as it has done successfully in the area of water management,” Mr. Modi said.
Earlier, he unveiled a logo as part of 50th anniversary celebrations and released a commemorative stamp issued by the Postal Department.
In her welcome address, Director-General of ICRISAT Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes said farming was always risky, particularly in the semi-arid and arid tropics, including the South Asian Region, where degradation of forests was on the rise to have more land mass available for farming and other needs. She reiterated that ICRISAT would continue its work on better management of natural resources, developing drought and climate resilient crop varieties and making farming sustainable and profitable.
Governor of Telangana Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G. Kishan Reddy participated in the event. However, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao did not turn up for the event.
