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While addressing the Inaugural session of National Conference on Agriculture for Rabi Campaign, 2005 Smt. Radha Singh, Secretary (A&C) called for a countrywide launch of Mission 4 to raise Agriculture growth rate by 4 per cent. This could be done by adopting an agro climatically differentiated strategy that targets both commodity as well as agro climatic zones for filling up potentiality gaps through addressal of specific constraints in soil, land and water as well as removing constraints related to seed, fertilizers micro nutrients and appropriate technologies. The Secretary said it is possible to achieve higher yields by integrating extension and education, emphasizing agro eco production systems rather than commodities, improving water use efficiently through field channels and drip, sprinkler and fertigation irrigation system and also by improving agriculture practices including conservation tillage and farm mechanization. For this she recommended the creation of a Task Force comprising of the Vice Chancellor of State Agricultural Universities, State Agricultural Secretary, Director of Agricultural and District Agricultural Officers. Such a group could plan interventions in these selected areas.
Smt. Radha Singh called for special attention to enhance yield of edible oils like soya, groundnut, mustard, castor with emphasis on promotion of cultivation of oil port. She appealed to all the States to give greater attention to the implementation of the Seed Village Scheme wherein private seed producers required to co-opted within an even playing field. She informed that the Ministry was working on seed plan for the entire country.
Smt. Radha Singh said that the Mid Term Appraisal of the Planning Commission has highlighted the need for greater scientific input for agriculture development, and has made wide reaching recommendations regarding improvement of the financial situation of the State Agriculture Universities (SAUs), emphasis on development of technologies for remunerative agriculture and improving research performances through project, funding and effective monitoring. All these recommendations are under consideration.
Touching upon the area of agricultural marketing the Secretary said that amendment to the APMC Act is the key to marketing reform process. She said the central point of this reform is to introduce competitiveness and higher remuneration to farmers by amending the APMC Act, promoting competitive agricultural markets in the private and corporate sectors. This would include encouragement of direct markets and contract farming programmes, establishing nation wide terminal markets, sourcing commodity directly from farmers, modernizing existing mandis and establishing perishable cargo centres at ports, railways and existing points.
The Secretary emphasized that Agricultural growth can only take place provided there is a qualitative improvement in field level demonstrations. She appealed for adopting of a group approach through multipurpose service centre for input supply, equipment leasing, certification and marketing services at block level under public private partnership approach. She said that extension staffs of States need to be trained within a defined curriculum. Knowledge centres which are springing all over the country have to be mainstreamed as part of an extension network.
In order to boost agricultural exports the Secretary said that it is essential that residue testing labs are established around existing AEZs with certification GI system and protocol formalization, sanitary and phytosanitary facilities, established at various places but essentially at quarantine stations.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Secretaries, Commissioners of the States and Union Territories, Agricultural Scientists, State Agricultural Officers, Sr. officials from Agriculture, Food & PDS, Water Reserves, Food Processing and Fertilizers.
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