Pawar urges farmers to supplement income by non-farming avenues

New Delhi, Feb 25 (UNI) Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar inaugurated a three-day Krishi Vigyan Mela( farmers fair) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) here last evening with a call to the farmers, especially the poor ones, to look for alternative avenues of income to supplement their income from crop farming.

Besides improving their living standards, it will also protect them from weather related risks, Mr Pawar said.

Suggesting the farmers to increase crop productivity, the minister said greater investment in irrigation, providing credit at affordable rates and remunerative prices for agricultural produce were key to increasing farm productivity.

He argued that increasing productivity is the only way to ensure food security for the country and the farmers' well being as the availability of land for farming is decreasing because of population pressure and need for land for other economic purposes. Mr Pawar said the foodgrain production must be increased by about 90 million tonnes by 2020 to meet the domestic demand. This challenge can be met only by strengthening the farming sector and removing its ills at a fast pace. The opening of world markets has also provided new opportunities and the Indian farming sector must prepare itself for this by adopting new technologies, he said.

The Minister also announced that farmers' hostels are being built in the State Agriculture Universities and other agricultural institutes so that they are encouraged to visit these centres of research, education and training.

The three-day Mela has been organised by ICAR and IARI. In addition to display of products and technologies by industries, NGOs and various institutions, the Mela is providing an opportunity to farmers to visit IARI farms to learn from the practices being adopted by the premier agricultural research institute. Discussion sessions have also been arranged on different issues concerning agriculture.

UNI