Second Green Revolution needed without any delay
Indian agriculture has been lagging in several areas including inputs, irrigation, value addition and market linkages and his government was committed to modernising the sector, Modi said
HAZARIBAGH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for second Green Revolution, saying it should start immediately from eastern India.
He said Indian agriculture has been lagging in several areas including inputs, irrigation, value addition and market linkages and his government was committed to modernising the sector and making it more productive. “We have seen the first Green Revolution but it happened several years ago. Now it is the demand of time that there should be second Green Revolution without any delay. And where is it possible? It is possible in eastern UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Assam, Odhisa,” Modi said while laying foundation stone of Indian Agricultural Research Institute at Barhi.
“That is why the government is focusing on the development of this area. For that we have started this research institute,” the prime minister said.
He said urea plants in this area have been closed and a decision has been taken to reopen them as farmers will need fertilizers.
Emphasising the need for use of scientific methods for farming to increase productivity, Modi said “Unless we prepare a balanced and a comprehensive integrated plan, we will not be able to change the lives of farmers.”
Pitching for ‘per drop, more crop’, Modi stressed the need for research in the field of agriculture to determine the health of soil and its needs in terms of seeds, water quantity, amount of fertilization etc.
He said the government was taking steps to train youth in soil testing so that such labs could be set up on the pattern of pathological labs for humans. “This will also lead to job creation,” he added.
Special package
Turning to pulses, he said India has to import these because of shortfall in production and noted that a special package has been given to farmers engaged in cultivation of pulses. “The production of pulses in the country is very low and I urge farmers that if they have five acres of farming land, use four acres for other crops but cultivate pulses on at least one acre,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister said that a process had began to help farmers maintain land by issuing “soil health cards”, quality seeds, providing electricity, irrigation and giving them a proper market with value addition. “If there is no change in village economy, we cannot change lives of farmers. So the Centre’s endeavour is to introduce additional farming system to increase agricultural produce per hectare, which is now a cause for concern,” he said.
“But, there are ways (to address it) through government policies and training resource availability”, he said.