Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankar, on Friday called for protecting farmers against climate change and price fluctuations, besides stressing on the need to increase food processing and adding value to farming during the inauguration of the 15th edition of CII Agro Tech-2022 at Parade Ground, Sector 17.
Dhankar, who was the chief guest at the event, underlined that agriculture has always been central to the Indian identity and as a nation we can prosper only if our farm sector grows.
Addressing a gathering during the inauguration of CII Agro Tech -2022, he said that sustainability and food security go hand in hand. “There cannot be long term food security without sustainable agricultural practices,” Dhankar said, during his maiden visit to Chandigarh on Friday.
He described agriculture as a tradition and a way of life in India. Referring to the strides made during the past 75 years, he stressed on the need to adapt our agriculture according to new requirements and new challenges. “Innovation should become the key driver of agricultural growth and our farmers should have protection against climate change and price fluctuations,” he said.
Mentioning that the United Nations has unanimously adopted India’s proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets, Dhankhar said that in a world faced with food shortage, water scarcity and unprecedented climate crises, focus on millet cultivation comes as a smart solution.
Listing various affirmative steps taken by the government for farmers’ welfare — such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Soil Health Cards, Fasal Bima Yojana and the KUSUM scheme — the Vice President said that farmers were the backbone of India’s growth and care should be taken to address their concerns. Calling for out of the box solutions for various problems facing the agriculture sector, he stressed on the need to increase synergy between research institutions and industry.
Apart from Dhankar, the others present at the event were the Vice President’s wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, Governor of Punjab and Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, chairman of CII Agro Tech India 2022 Sanjiv Puri, farmers, entrepreneurs and others.
Later, chairman of CII Agro Tech India 2022 Sanjiv Puri said, “There are multiple opportunities in the Indian agriculture sector today to achieve sustainable growth and productivity, given the grit and determination of farmers and a proactive government. Agriculture is the lifeline of the economy and roughly half of India’s workforce is engaged in this sector. However, its contribution to the GVA is only about 18%, with challenges such as low productivity and wastages, which translates to lower farm incomes.”
On challengesin the sector and the impact of climate change, Puri said, “Last year, many countries experienced events that dramatically reduced crop production. This year is no different. We have challenges in Europe, China and the US and recently in Indonesia. We have a neighbor whose agriculture sector has been devastated.”