Agriculture and Farm Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said India, in addition to being self-sufficient in food production, has the potential to meet the food needs of much of the world. This was reported on the official website of the Government of India.
Taking into account the needs and challenges of the future, the country is moving ahead with strategic plans, he said. “We understand that in order to maintain high production of food grains, we also need to increase labor productivity,” the minister said.
He said that the introduction of new agricultural technologies, sharing them with farmers and improving the irrigation system will reduce the cost of agricultural production, as well as increase the production of food grains. Shri Tomar mentioned that everyone’s cooperation is needed so that the incomes of local farmers grow and they continue to contribute to the food security of the country and the whole world.
The minister spoke at the Leeds 2022 conference organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). At the session “Food for All: From Farm to Fork”, Sri Tomar said that despite the coronavirus pandemic, India’s agricultural sector has made significant progress with growth of 3.9%.
With a world population of around 9 billion by 2050, the demand for food will rise rapidly, leading to increased demand for agricultural land, pasture for livestock, fertilizers and genetically modified crops, the minister said.
He mentioned that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, agriculture in the country has expanded significantly in recent years. “We are now number two in the world in terms of food production,” he said. The geography, climate and soils of India are very diverse, so it is naturally excellent for producing a wide range of agricultural commodities. Sri Tomar emphasized that the country can grow more crops than any other state.
India has the highest crop density in the world. The fourth preliminary estimate puts India’s 2021-22 food grain production at 315.72 metric tons.
In addition, the minister said that in order to make India self-sufficient and internationally competitive, the government is constantly working to develop smallholder farming. In this direction, many important schemes are being implemented to reduce the difficulties in agriculture and increase the income of farmers.
Along with this, India is rapidly moving towards becoming a world leader in the agricultural sector. The agricultural industry is expected to be further developed in the coming years, he said, thanks to increased investment in infrastructure, including irrigation systems, storage facilities and cold stores. In addition, the increased use of genetically modified crops is expected to increase the yields of Indian farmers.
