India has been transformed from a food-deficient country to a food exporting country
India has been transformed from a food-deficient country to a food
exporting country in the last about six decades - Shri Radha Mohan Singh
ICAR has always emphasized on the development of crop varieties especially resistant to various biotic and abiotic stresses.
Union Minister for Agriculture, Shri
Radha Mohan Singh Ji addressed on Occasion of Conference of Vice Chancellors of
Agricultural Universities and Interface with ICAR Directors on 22-23 January,
2016 at A. P. Shinde Auditorium, NASC Complex. Shri Singh said that over
the years, the network of Agricultural Universities has resulted in development
of skilled and trained human resources which have been instrumental in
generating new technologies, their assessment, refinement & dissemination
to farming community. He also said that we (in India) have a very large network
of public funded agriculture research and education system including, 73
agricultural universities, 101 ICAR institutes and 642 KVKs. I feel we can
justify organising such meetings only if we are able to harness the synergies
of our institutions and optimise the use of our limited resources to pursue the
specified goals efficiently with a focus on the farming community that is our
ultimate client
Full text of Address of Shri Radha Mohan
Singh is as follows:
Shri
Sanjeev Kumar Balyan Ji, Shri Mohanbhai Kundariya ji, Dr S. Ayyappan, Secy.
DARE & DG, ICAR, Shri Chabbilendra Roul, Addl. Secy. DARE & Secy. ICAR,
Shri S. K. Singh, Addl. Secy. & FA, DARE, Prof. M.C. Varshney, President,
IAUA, Dr N. S. Rathor, DDG (Edn)., Vice Chancellors of Agricultural
Universities, Directors of ICAR Institutes, Senior Officers from ICAR, Special
Invitees, Representatives of Press and Media, ladies and gentlemen.
It
is my pleasure to present here for the interface meeting of the Vice
Chancellors of Agricultural Universities, Directors of ICAR Institutes and
Senior Officers of ICAR. I am happy that
this event here today, brings together all Vice Chancellors, Directors of ICAR
institutes, other Senior ICAR officers on a common platform to discuss the ways and means
of improving agriculture research, education and extension system, and thus
improve agricultural sustainability, productivity and profitability. ICAR’s initiative of organizing such an interactive
meeting is praiseworthy.
Over
the years, the network of Agricultural Universities has resulted in development
of skilled and trained human resources which have been instrumental in
generating new technologies, their assessment, refinement & dissemination
to farming community. Thanks to the concerted efforts of our agricultural
scientists, farmers, policy planners and other stakeholders that India has been
transformed from a food-deficient country to a food exporting country in the
last about six decades.
The
research in crop sciences has led to release of many crop varieties during the
recent past. The quantity of breeder seeds produced is more than sufficient to
be put in the seed production chain so as to attain essential seed replacement
ratio in each crop variety. I am of the opinion that all technologies generated
by the scientists must prove their worth under on-farm conditions. The entire
agricultural set-up in the country is for the farmers, who always struggle for
food production under several biotic and abiotic stresses. I am therefore,
happy to note that ICAR has always emphasized on the
development of crop varieties especially resistant to various biotic and abiotic
stresses. It is heartening to see India
as one among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world
with significant exports of cotton, rice, meat, oil meals and sugar.
ICAR
celebrated ‘Jai Kisan Jai Vigyan’ Week from 23 December to 29 December 2015 on
the birth anniversary of former Prime Ministers Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and
Late Shri Chaudhary Charan Singh. The celebration was organized keeping in view
their immense contribution for promoting use of science for the welfare of
farmers. ICAR Institutes and KVKs across the country organized various farmer
awareness programs, showcasing and demonstration of new technological advances
for enhancing productivity and profitability of agriculture. Progressive
farmers, who have successfully adopted latest technologies and reaped the
benefits, were felicitated.
As
you are kindly aware that agriculture needs to attain and sustain an overall
growth rate of about over 4 percent. In the past we have been able to reach
close to the target but have not achieved it. In the face of climate
change, increasing and emerging abiotic and biotic stresses, the challenge is
tough but I feel, with our research capability, the task is not insurmountable.
We need to focus on research products that can provide us break-through in
yields which can be made accessible and affordable for different categories of
farmers.
Soil
health, water management and energy are going to be the key determinants of our
agricultural performance. Our scientists must address the issues pertaining to
improving resource use efficiency. The technologies for efficient management,
utilization and conservation of resources are needed on priority. Since the
demand for food is continuously rising, and land availability is limited, we
have to focus on increasing productivity, and on maintaining soil health and
fertility.
In
keeping with UN declaration of 2015 as the Year of Soils, and understanding the
need to conserve the most primary source of production – soil, the initiative
of launching new measures to provide Soil Health Cards to all farmers in the
country in a time bound manner will go a long way in further increasing the
production and productivity of Indian agriculture. To create awareness amongst
the farmers about the importance of the soil, ICAR celebrated World Soil Day on
5th December, 2015 at 607 KVK and 80 Research
Institute/Agricultural Universities across the country. Notable things is
that the Hon’ble Union Ministers, Governor, MP, MLA also graced the
functions. In these programmers, about 2-5 lakh Soil Health Cards ware
distributed to the farmers.
Recognising
the importance pulses as a cheap source protein in human diet, especially for
the vegetarian population and the soil nitrogen fixing property of the
leguminous plants, the UN General Assembly has declared 2016 as the
international Year of Pulses. It is good to see that in the very beginning of
the new year-2016, one of our leading institutions, IARI, New Delhi has
released PADT-16, a variety of arhar that yields about 20
quintal/ha and matures in 120 days against 160-180 days taken by the presently
used varieties. We must ensure that the seeds are made available to the farmers
so that the new variety in brought into the production chain at the earliest. I
am sure as the year rolls by, we shall see more improved varieties in the
field, not only of pulses but the oilseeds, as well.
Hon’ble
Prime Minister graced the 87th ICAR Foundation Day function and
in his enlightening address called
upon agricultural scientists and planners to design second green revolution
with new vision, dimensions and objectives to address the agricultural
challenges in this modern era. He reiterated that second green revolution will
begin from the land of eastern India which has immense potential in terms of
natural resources and willing farmers to take up experiments in fields. He also
suggested increasing area under organic farming and vermicomposting. Hon. Prime
Minister called upon agricultural scientists to work upon saffron, green, white
and blue revolutions which signify energy, agriculture, milk and fisheries
respectively. We need to take the message in right earnest and prioritise our
research programmes accordingly. Emphasis has to be on the improvement of
productivity and enhancing the quality of the produce to ensure both food and
nutritional security and to fulfil the commitment of national food security
act, such that there is access to adequate quantity of quality food for all at
affordable prices.
Research
must be undertaken on priority in cutting edge areas with objective of
increasing factor productivity, resource conservation and thwarting the
challenges of climate change. This presents a major risk to long term food
security as it may have multidimensional debilitating effects on agriculture.
There is an urgent need to address issues concerning rainfed agriculture which
accounts for about 56% of the total cropped area to give boost to national food
production. For addressing vagaries of nature ICAR’s National Initiative on
Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) is a step forward in right direction. The
National Agriculture Science Fund created for solving problems in cutting edge
areas and capacity building is a step in right direction. These have to be
carried forward in the Mission mode.
Livestock
feed, healthcare and management are to be addressed in an integrated manner for
ensuring intensification in the animal sector. In the past we have encountered
several diseases outbreaks, especially in our fast growing poultry sector
resulting loss of precious human and livestock life. Changes in livestock
production increase the potential for new pathogens to emerge, grow and spread
from animals to humans on a global scale. Effective phytosanitary and animal
health regimes aided by new vaccines, diagnostic products and tools, and
epidemiological information are necessary to survive in the emerging regulatory
regime. What we need here is a sound mechanism of surveillance at ground level
so that with appearance of first sign of the disease causing organism, control
measures are taken at the earliest.
Food
safety is an integral part of food security, because unsafe food has
significant economic costs in terms of health problems as well as cross border
trade, which is hampered by inconsistent/poor food safety standards. The latent
demand for food safety among urban India is set to grow with urbanization and
will also increase acceptability in the export market. I am happy to share with
you thatIndian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi has
developed a low erucic acid Indian mustard variety namely Pusa Mustard-30
(PM-30). This variety is low in erucic acid (<2 acids="" an="" and="" besides="" best="" by="" combination="" considered="" desirable="" developed="" effort="" fatty="" first="" for="" good="" has="" health="" high="" iari="" improved="" indigenously="" is="" its="" kind="" launch="" mode="" moreover="" myocardial="" o:p="" of="" oil="" other="" partnership="" potential.="" product="" public-private="" quality.="" the="" this="" to="" under="" value="" with="" yield="">2>
Higher
education is crucial to maintain and sustain growth in agricultural
productivity, as it promotes research capabilities and skills to assimilate and
adapt the current technologies, and develop the new ones. Agricultural
education has to evolve in tune with fast changing national and international
scenario. I am glad to inform that CCEA note for the XII Plan was
approved by Cabinet secretariat now and ICAR has initiated several programmes
wherein to attract talented students in agriculture and to improve the quality
of faculty, schemes such as ‘Student READY’, increasing the stipend for “Rural
Agricultural Work Experience” and initiating the fellowship under National
Talent scholarship (NTS) for PG students, and Netaji Subhas-ICAR International
Fellowships for the Post Graduate students for attracting and retaining
talent in agriculture research.
Strengthening
of our institutions of research and education for competent human must always
be a priority issue for the Council. Considering the fact that globally the
state of agriculture is in a flux, the ICAR institutes need to be geared up to
respond to new and rapidly changing economic, ecological and technological
environment. Realizing the importance of agriculture and higher agricultural
education in Indian economy, the guidelines for the establishment of Central
Agricultural University has been approved by the Parliament. The MOU has been
signed with Bihar government to convert the existing Rajendra agricultural
university to Rajendra Central Agricultural University and Bill is introduced
in the Parliament. This step will promote excellence in human resource
development and strengthen research and extension in the State.
It
is heartening to inform that Government has decided to strengthen agricultural
education, research and extension activities, more so in NE region.
Accordingly, a new Central Agricultural University, is to be established at Barapani,
Meghalaya. Six new colleges related to agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and
food science are also being established under the existing CAU, Imphal. The
number of colleges in the North Eastern region will go up from 7 to 13 and four
of the six colleges are already established. In Bundelkhand region, Rani
Laxmibai Central Agricultural University was established in 2014. To
strengthen the CAU, four new colleges were approved from which one college has
already been established and the establishment process of rest three colleges
are in progress.
Farmers
have acquired enormous wealth of knowledge through their years of farming
experience. They have perfected several technologies over the years for
different ecological regions such as rainwater harvesting in rainfed areas,
agri-pestoral system, agroforestry in hilly regions, integrated farming systems
etc. These need to be collected, preserved and utilized in harnessing the
natural resources. KVKs can play a significant role in ITK preservation and
utilization.
Ladies
and gentlemen, we in India have a very large network of public funded
agriculture research and education system including, 73 agricultural
universities, 101 ICAR institutes and 642 KVKs. I feel we can justify
organising such meetings only if we are able to harness the synergies of our
institutions and optimise the use of our limited resources to pursue the
specified goals efficiently with a focus on the farming community that is our
ultimate client.
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