India must change focus on agriculture reserach-Kirti Singh

Bhubaneswar, Apr 26 (UNI) India must change its focus on agriculture research to enter the global arena and explore new markets in addition to finding suitable domestic markets for the surplus, Former Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) Chairman Kirti Singh said today.

Addressing the 27th Convocation of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology(OUAT) here, Professor. Singh said new dimension have been added to the agriculture by the recent phenomenon of globalisation and competition generated through WTO regime.

Rapid advances in biotechnology,information and communication technology and space sciences have opened up new avenues for agriculture and allied sciences, he said adding '' we must apply these advances to agriculture and rural development and knowledge had to be used as a basic power to deal with global competitiveness.'' ''It is also our responsibility to see that the education research and extension system are not only locally relevant but also globally competitive,''he remarked.

The former ICAR Chairman said there was a dire need for non-formal education in respect of knowledge and technological empowerment of vast section of work force in rural areas.

This would expand opportunities for off-farm employment and decrease dependence on agriculture as sole source of livelihood, he said adding small and marginal farmers, landless labourers, farm women and school dropouts which constituted about 40 million unemployed or semi-employed work force of the country, could be benefited through need-based non-formal education.

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