New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Describing India as a ray of hope for global food security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country's small farmers are our strength.
Inaugurating the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) at the National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) campus in New Delhi, he said, “Agriculture is at the centre of our economic policy. In our country, about 90 per cent of the families have very little land. These small farmers are the biggest strength of India's food security. The same situation exists in many developing countries of Asia. Therefore, India's model can be useful for many countries.”
He said that the government is promoting chemical free-natural agriculture on a large scale. Very good results have been seen. In this year's budget too, a big focus is on environment friendly farming. We are developing a complete ecosystem to support our farmers. India is putting a lot of emphasis on research and development related to crops that can withstand the effects of climate. In the last 10 years, we have given about 1,900 new such varieties to the farmers.
He said, “In India, even today we plan everything keeping in mind the six seasons. We have 15 agro-climatic zones which have their own specialties. If you travel a few hundred kilometers here, the farming changes. The farming in the plains is different… the farming in the Himalayas is different… where there is less water, the farming there is different… and the farming in the coastal region is different. This diversity makes India a ray of hope for global food security.”
The Prime Minister said that the last time the ICAE conference was held here 65 years ago, India had just gained independence. That was a challenging time for India's food security and agriculture. Today, India is a food surplus country. Today, India is the largest producer of milk, pulses and spices. India is the second largest producer of grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugar, tea and fish. There was a time when India's food security was a matter of concern for the world. Today is the time when India is engaged in providing solutions for global food security and global nutrition security.
–IANS
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