Innovation can make India food basket of world: Scindia
By IANSSunday, February 13, 2011
NEW DELHI - A second Green Revolution, involving technical innovation, increased investment in agriculture and proper infrastructure for food processing can make India the food basket of the world, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said Sunday.
Agriculture sector is critical for our economy as 60-70 percent of our population is dependent on it for livelihood. We require 4.5 to 5 percent growth in the farm sector to uplift our economy in rural areas, Scindia said at an award function organised by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (Apeda) here.
Scindia emphasised on the need for a second Green Revolution.
Increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation facilities and introduction of high-yield varieties of seeds, collectively called the Green Revolution between 1965 and the early 1980s, nearly quadrupled the production of rice and wheat in the country. It made India almost self-sufficient in production of foodgrain.
With proper investment in agriculture, technical innovation and infrastructure for food processing, India could well become the food basket of the world, Scindia said.
On exports of agricultural goods, Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said Indian farm products needed to move up the value chain to achieve the target of $15 billion exports in the next three years.
Khullar said the main challenge for the farm sector would be to deal with an emerging range of non-tariff barriers.
