Saturday August 06, 2011 06:56:42 PM, IANS

Bangalore: India needs to usher in a second green revolution to meet the challenge of ensuring food security for all, President Pratibha Patil said Saturday.

"We need a second green revolution to ensure food security for all and eliminating hunger should be a national responsibility," Patil said delivering the 45th annual convocation address at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) here.

Recalling how the first green revolution made India largely self-sufficient in foodgrains, she said though the country was self-reliant in cereal production, pulses and edible oils were still imported to meet the growing demand-supply gap.

"To increase productivity, we need to strengthen institutional support and bridge gaps in support systems, focus on dryland farming, adapt an integrated approach and use technology as an effective tool in farming," Patil told the graduating students.

Noting that agriculture provided employment to about 60 percent of the workforce and nearly 69 percent of the population live in rural areas, she said extensive farming was imperative for the overall development of the people and ensure livelihood.

"Though we are a leading IT nation, we should not forget that we are also one of the largest agrarian economies of the world. Hence, agriculture productivity and sustainability needs to be undertaken with a sense of mission," she asserted.

Calling upon universities to evolve new scientific methods of crop planning, warehousing and food technologies, the president said agriculture and industry should be developed as two well balanced wheels of the economy.

"Agricultural universities should work with the corporate sector to link sowing stage to selling farm produce, including value addition. Institutions providing inputs such as credit, seeds, fertilisers and pesticides must be re-energised to deliver desired outcomes," Patil pointed out.

 

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Picture of the Day

Muslims go to Makkah al Mukarrema in Saudi Arabia for Umrah entire year other than Haj times. However, during Ramadan, number of Umrah visitors increases manifold. According to a rough estimate, over 2.5 million Muslims come from across the world to Makkah al Mukarrema for Umrah during Ramadan.

(Photo: ummid.com)