Climate change issues to reach highest level of policy making: Pawar

New Delhi, Oct 13 (UNI) Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today assured that research and assessment of consequences of climate change on agriculture would be strengthened.

Addressing the valedictory session of a two-day conference on 'Climate Change and Indian Agriculture' here , Mr Pawar assured of four recommendations viz strengthening research and assessment of the impacts, increasing international collaboration, evolving and implementing scientific and economic based policies, and investment in infrastructure to insulate agriculture from climatic vagaries reaching highest level of policy making, an official release said.

These recommendations will be forwarded to the Prime Minister's Council as well as Planning Commission for further discussion and action, he said.

While inviting the scientific community to explore whether climate change would benefit ''our agriculture system during any time period in future and anywhere in the country,'' Mr Pawar suggested the Agriculture Ministry as well as related Ministries chart an action plan to highten preparedness for climate change.

The Minister also complimented Dr R K Pachauri, Chairman of Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change for co-winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

The session was also addressed by Dr P K Mishra, Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Ms M Gupta, Secretary, Deptt of Environment&Forests and Dr Mangala Rai, Secretary, DARE.

UNI