Substantial Increase in Ag Productivity the Answer in India, Says Radha Mohan Singh
18 February 2015 An increase in farmers’ incomes and quality food supply to consumers at affordable prices is closely linked to the supply of genetically advanced seeds that substantially increase productivity, India’s Agriculture Minister Sh. Radha Mohan Singh said at the India Seed Congress in Agra last week.
Sh. Singh said that a substantial increase in productivity is the answer to achieve food security in an efficient and sustainable manner.
Bt cotton in Gujarat and other states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has clearly demonstrated what these new technologies can do to enhance farmer incomes with consequential effects on their well-being, the Minister said. Newer technologies like herbicide tolerance, drought tolerance, nitrogen use efficiency, healthy oils and feed and nutrition enhancement, can, when introduced commercially in India, substantially increase productivity leading to greater farmer incomes and farmer well-being, he said.
Sh.Singh said that apart from increased productivity to produce more from less inputs including water and land, the losses that occur due to droughts, floods, salinity, biotic and other abiotic stresses also need to be eliminated decisively through the adoption of appropriate technologies. In this context, genetic engineering holds great promise, he said.
Sh.Singh mentioned that international institutional collaborations both in public and private sector are essential to introduce innovations and technologies to the farmers. However such arrangements should benefit all the stakeholders and faster technology diffusion and adoption can happen only if there is a rational regime for technology pricing and licensing which enables a level playing field and also fosters healthy competition, he said.
Sh.Singh emphasized that the superior genetics encapsulated in seed combined with improved agronomies will be the key strategy to break the yield barriers. He said that in this direction the private organized seed industry has significantly contributed and successfully complemented with the public sector. The Indian government will therefore support public-private partnership initiatives for overall development of the sector, he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Sh. Radha Mohan Singh said that while agriculture feeds the nation, seeds feed agriculture. Seeds are a critical determinant of productivity in agriculture. By embedding various types of values, like health enhancing benefits, crop protection and water and soil nutrients to resist adverse climatic conditions, a seed is eminently suited to increase productivity. Thus, appropriate policy support for seed improvements through conventional and biotech methods, in combination with improved agronomic practices, would greatly help in ensuring food and nutritional security of the country, he said.
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