PM underlines need to save farmers from climate crisis
HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for the fusion of two concepts in agriculture – “Back to Basics” and “March to Future” to safeguard the farmers of the country from climate change.
The PM was addressing the gathering at the golden jubilee celebrations of International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at Patancheru on the outskirts of Hyderabad.
On this occasion, Modi inaugurated the institute’s Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and Rapid Generation Advancement Facility. He also unveiled a specially designed logo of ICRISAT and launched a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.
Stating that natural calamities and the situations created due to climate change had been a major challenge for the country, Modi said the research facilities at ICRISAT would play a key role in aiding agriculture to combat climate change.
He said India has six seasons and 15 agro-climatic zones resulting in diversity in agriculture production. “We are providing nearly 170 districts with drought- proofing solutions across the country. Our focus is on the fusion of “Back to Basics” and “March to Future” to safeguard our farmers from climate change,” he said and called upon the scientists to strive for innovative methods to strengthen the agriculture sector.
The PM said the Central government was introducing modern technology in the agriculture sector. He reminded that the 2022-23 Union budget focused on natural farming and digital agriculture, which would revolutionise the agriculture sector.
Calling upon the farmers to focus more on organic farming, Modi said the latest budget, too, had given a lot of priority to organic farming methods. “We are allocating more funds for usage of drone technology in cultivation and also digitalisation of cultivable lands,” he said.
The PM said the fruits of green revolution had not reached many areas of the country due to lack of irrigation facilities. “In order to tackle this situation, the government has contemplated inter-linking of rivers so that farmers across the country get proper irrigation facilities,” he said.
Stating that the Centre is focusing on nutrition security along with food security, Modi said emphasis was being laid on micro-irrigation facilities. “We have developed several bio-fortified varieties in the last seven years,” he said.
He also called for an increase in the area of cultivation of oil palm plantation to 6.5 lakh hectares and said the government would extend all assistance to farmers to step up oil palm culti
vation. He said the cultivation of oil palm in Telangana was very much encouraging. “We shall encourage the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to increase the oil palm cultivation,” he said.
He also praised their holistic approach in integrating farmers with their markets and promoting pulses and chick pea production in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. “Your research and technology have helped making agriculture easy and sustainable”, Modi said.
Stating that the event holds special significance as the golden jubilee of ICRISAT is being celebrated on Basant Panchami, Modi congratulated all those who had contributed to the institute’s 50-year journey. “I also congratulate those who have made efforts to make this work forward.”
The Prime Minister said that ICRISAT has experience of five decades of helping other nations in making agriculture easy and sustainable. “Today, I am hopeful that they will continue to deliver their expertise to strengthen India’s ‘Krishi’ sector.”
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundarrajan, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy and ICRISAT director-general Jacqueline d’Arros Hughes participated in the golden jubilee celebrations of the institute.