MP: Effective weed mgnt improves agri prodn

Bhopal, Jun 30: Undertaking weed management practice on a large scale could result in increasing foodgrains production by 30-40 per cent thereby preventing a loss of around Rs one lakh crore every year.

National Research Centre for Weed Science Director Jay G Varshney told reporters here yesterday that present situation of foodgrains production in the country was akin to the situation prevailing in 1980s and export of wheat, pulses and other foodgrains had become the need of the hour.

''The scenario would change if weed management practice is undertaken on national level. Overall weed management would help in increasing production of foodgrain by 103 million tonne, pulses by 15 million tonne, oilseeds by 10 million tonne and cash crops by 52 million tonne,'' he claimed.

Expressing concern over agricultural production averaging merely three per cent in the first six years of the 21st century, Dr Varshney said the country's Gross Domestic Product could be increased by substantially increasing agricultural production.

He pointed out that agricultural production had become stable or was declining in the country. Better quality seeds and modern agricultural techniques were only solutions to declining agricultural production.

Dr Varshney said 37 per cent foodgrains was damaged by weeds. The target for foodgrain could be achieved easily by effectively controlling it.

UNI