Link needed between food, nutrition, agriculture, environ

Panaji, Sept 24 (UNI) The Linkage between food, Nutrition, Agriculture and environment security has to play an important role in the field of Agriculture, Dr Mangala Rai, Director General, ICAR, New Delhi, said here today.

Dr Rai was delivering the key-note address of the four-day International Seminar on ''Strategies for improving livelihood security of the rural poor.'' Earlier, Goa Legislative Assembly Speaker Pratapsingh Rane formally inaugurated the seminar, organised by International Society of Extension Euducation Nagpur, ICAR Research Complex For Goa, Ela Old and Maharashtra Society of Extension Education Rahuri in the absence of Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Digamber Kamat, who could not attend the function due to some important assignments.

Dr Rai further said that the agriculture sector is going to face grim competition for supply of fresh water, with its share dropping to 75 per cent from the present 83 per cent in the near future.

In the wake of growing industrial and domestic sector, the judicious management of water resources is, therefore, going to be crucial to sustain agriculture growth in the country.

Dr Mangala also said models such as farmers field schools, online decision-making for pest management and IT based information exchange system would provide precision in crop protection to enable full potential of high yielding varieties.

Mr Rane, speaking on the occasion, said that the proportion of poverty in the state of Goa is more in urban areas, in comparison to rural area. The poverty in urban areas is mainly attributed to migration of labourers from the neighbouring states. Describing the state of Goa as most suitable area for horticulture, he urged the scientists to initiate special efforts to bridge the existing gap in the implementation of lab to land programme.

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