By Bisheshwar Mishra
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar today stressed on the Centre and State governments work in coordination for the development of the Agriculture sector.
Speaking after inaugurating the Integrated Bio-Control Lab and Golden Jubilee Auditorium in Hyderabad, the Minister said, Agriculture will continue to be a priority sector for the governments. He said, India plays a key role in the welfare of the world in the context of the G20 Presidency and the next 25 years are very crucial for the development of the country. He remarked that the country has now gained strength to achieve whatever it aspires for. Stating that the Agriculture sector is the backbone of the country’s economy, he emphasized the need for strengthening the Agriculture and allied sectors.
He asked the Extension officers to take the fruits of the research to farmers. He laid emphasis on the use of digital technology to connect labs and land to help increase farm productivity. State Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy thanked the Central government for supporting the facilities at the State Agriculture University and other institutions. He said, the Rythu Bandhu scheme is the first initiative in the world which is supporting farmers for input subsidy.
Mr. Reddy elaborated on the measures that the State government has initiated for the Agriculture sector. He noted that an Extension officer has been appointed for every five thousand acres to maintain the agriculture database. He added that the infrastructure has been developed in the State along with crop diversification.
Secretary Agriculture Manoj Ahuja earlier emphasized the need for digital means to take the research to the farms. Stating that farmers themselves are scientists, he asked officials to learn and validate the knowledge of farmers. He said flood-resistant and high-yielding variety seeds should be provided to farmers. Agriculture Commissioner M Raghunandan Rao also attended the event.
Earlier, the Union Minister inaugurated the Golden jubilee auditorium of Extent I in Education Institution and Integrated Bio Control Lab of the National Institution of Plant Health Management.
