Multi-Pronged Strategy Must To Make Agriculture Viable & Profitable: Venkaiah

Hyderabad, July 3 (Maxim News): Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has stressed the need to adopt a multi-pronged strategy to make Agriculture viable and profitable and farm income must be supplemented by non-farm occupations and value addition through food processing.

Addressing the scientists, farm experts and farmers at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) here today, the Vice President observed that agriculture was the backbone of Indian economy. He said unless the farm sector performs well consistently, the trajectory of the country’s progress will not be smooth. He also said change was required in Agriculture as there was a change in climate, change in market conditions, change in world order and change in food habits. Allied services like fisheries, poultry, horticulture, food processing and packaging need to be promoted to improve farmers’ income, he added.

Venkaiah Naidu said the need of the hour was to make agriculture profitable and sustainable with consistent increase in its growth rate. “All the stakeholders involved in agriculture must come to the rescue of the “Annadata” or else we will be failing in our moral duty”, he observed. He said vagaries of weather – from high intensity rainfall to prolonged dry spells have drastically impacted agriculture. He further said hailstorms, heat waves and perennial droughts are some of the causes for agrarian distress. The uncertainties are driving farmers’ into debt traps and also leading to their suicides, he added.

The Vice President stressed the need to address the agrarian crisis in a systematic way so that the farmers become prosperous. He also said creating awareness among the farmers on traditional and modern methods of water conservation will help in effective water budgeting for agricultural activities. Protection of cattle health was important to increase farmers’ income, he pointed out.

Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali and others were present. (Maxim News)