Pawar stresses need to invigorate productivity in farming

New Delhi, May 12 (UNI) Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today stressed the urgent need for policies and programmes that can invigorate productivity in the farm sector.

Presiding over the 78th Annual General Body meeting of the ICAR Society here, Mr Pawar urged upon the agricultural scientists to prove that the 'kisan' is a force to reckon with and be a partner to achieve a higher growth rate in agriculture and food and nutritional security.

The Minister opined that there is an urgency to shift from mono-cropping to horticulture and high value added crops. The decline of soil health due to deficiency of micro-nutrients and falling organic matter needs to be checked, he added.

Mr Pawar also called for appropriate technological intervention covering cropping/farming system models, integrated water and nutrients management and packages, resource conservation technologies, reclamation technologies for acidic and saline /alkaline and participatory management approaches.

Pointing out the availability of huge area of waste land in the country, the Minister suggested that wide range of bio-fuel crops could be grown here.

Delineating the achievements of the ICAR in areas like development of improved varieties and hybrids, quality seed production, better agricultural education, technical inputs for improving production and export of inland and marine fishery resources, Mr Pawar informed that ''ICAR Guidelines for Intellectual Property Management and Technology transfer/commercialisation'' has been approved by the Governing Body.

Mr M V Rajasekharan, Minister of State for Planning also attended the meeting.

UNI