Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for the development of climate-resilient seed varieties and digital agriculture tools to protect the interests of smallholder farmers, who account for 80 percent of the country's farming community.
Focus on Sustainable Production Systems:
He asked ICRISAT and ICAR to work on sustainable and diverse production systems for farmers in the semi-arid tropics, claiming that the negative effects of climate change were exacerbated for small farmers.
"We should return to basics while marching forward to protect our farmers from climate challenges," he said.
He told a crowd gathered at the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) here on Saturday that climate action had received a lot of attention in the recent Union Budget. The Budget emphasized a "green future" in all sectors.
Earlier, he kicked off the institute's Golden Jubilee celebrations by inaugurating a climate change research and development facility on plant protection, as well as a RapidGen facility, which significantly reduces the time required to develop seed varieties. To commemorate the institute's golden jubilee, he unveiled a special logo and commemorative stamp.
The Prime Minister requested that ICRISAT, ICAR, and agricultural universities collaborate on biofuel crops that meet the needs of small farmers.
Smart Agriculture
The Prime Minister stated that the country has set a target of net-zero emissions by 2070 and that the country should learn from past practices. The adoption of digital technologies held the key to the future of Indian agriculture.
"Digital technologies and artificial intelligence would play a key role in everything from crop assessment to spraying pesticides and inputs with drones." "I anticipate that the youth will play a significant role in this," he said.
During the Amrit Kaal, he added, the country was focusing on inclusive growth as well as higher agricultural growth.
The government has launched a national mission to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils. "We will develop oil palm on 6.5 lakh acres," Modi stated.
He also stated that the government was in the process of developing post-harvest infrastructure, including the creation of 35 million tonnes of cold chain storage capacity. "By organizing thousands of farmer producer organizations, we hope to create an alert and potent market force out of small farmers."
