Dr. N. K. Agarwal, Co-Chair of the Agri-business Committee at PHDCCI, emphasized the importance of soil as the basis of production and highlighted the role of Agri inputs like seeds and crop production in achieving higher yields. He also mentioned the contribution of Crystal Crop, an R&D and marketing company aligned with the vision of PM Modi and dedicated to making the International year of Millets a success.
RV Ramakrishna, General Manager of NABARD, stressed the need to promote sustainable and equitable agriculture through financial and non-financial means, with credit through refinance being a major function. He also mentioned NABARD's involvement in rural RRB and RRC supervision and watershed development, as well as its investment in alternate funds for Agri startups.
Pawan Aggarwal, the Former CEO of FSSAI, acknowledged the challenges posed by climate change to farmers and the need to be more careful with future planning. He highlighted the relationship between food and climate change, with diversity, fertilizer use, carbon/greenhouse gas emissions, and freshwater usage being the four pillars of the relationship.
Franklin L Khobung, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare discussed various initiatives such as PM KISAN, promotion of micro irrigation, clean planting material, and ICRISAT's initiatives, aimed at providing better opportunities for farmers. He also mentioned the ministry's focus on soil health, rain-fed areas, and promoting micro irrigation, horticulture, and crop diversification to address challenges posed by climate change.
Dr. Vijayalakshmi Nadendla, IAS, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer's Welfare, highlighted India's productivity challenges, despite being one of the highest-consuming countries. She noted that millets are now the likely solution for many of India's problems, as they fit into all themes of the event, including sustainable agriculture and farm-to-fork. She also emphasized the importance of creating awareness about nutrition, as India transitions from food security to nutritional security. Many states are launching their own millet missions in partnership with GOI to address the issue of malnutrition.
