Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday called for protecting farmers against climate change and price fluctuations while emphasising the need for more focus on food processing and adding value to farming.
Addressing a gathering during the inauguration of CII Agro Tech -2022 in Chandigarh, the Vice President said that sustainability and food security go hand in hand.
Dhankhar underlined that agriculture has always been central to the Indian identity and as a nation, we can prosper only if our farm sector grows.
"There cannot be long-term food security without sustainable agricultural practices," he stressed.
Dhankhar described agriculture as a tradition and a way of life in India. Referring to the strides made during the past 75 years in the field of agriculture, he stressed the need to adapt our agriculture according to new requirements and new challenges in the coming years.
"Innovation should become the key driver of agricultural growth and our farmers should have protection against climate change and price fluctuations," he said.
Emphasising the need to generate sustainable incomes for our farmers, the Vice President called for more focus on food processing and value addition.
Mentioning that the United Nations has unanimously adopted India's proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets, Dhankhar said that in a world faced with food shortage, water scarcity and unprecedented climate crises, focus on millet cultivation comes as a smart solution.
Listing various affirmative steps taken by the government for farmers' welfare such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Soil Health Cards, Fasal Bima Yojana and the KUSUM scheme, the Vice President said that farmers are the backbone of India's growth; care should be the taken to address their concerns as well. Calling for out-of-the-box solutions for various problems facing the agriculture sector, he stressed the need to increase synergy between research institutions and industry.
The others present at the event were the Vice President's wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, Governor of Punjab and Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, chairman of CII Agro Tech India 2022 Sanjiv Puri, farmers, entrepreneurs and others.
( With inputs from ANI )
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