Naveen Patnaik seeks attention towards dry land farming

Seeking attention of policy makers towards improvement of dry land farming, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik today said achieving an unprecedented yield by using excess fertiliser and persticide for a few years with depleting fertility of the lands was not acceptable.

"Dry land farming has not received the attention which it should have received in the second Green Revolution in the eastern region," he said addressing a workshop on "Bringing 2nd Green Revolution to Eastern India with Focus on Orissa."

Due emphasis needs to be given for enhancing productivity of dry land agriculture, he said adding that the effect of climate change is already visible in the country.

The rainfall distribution over time and space has started showing erratic behavior and therefore the strategy under the new initiatives should aim at minimizing the impact of climate change on crop production and productivity.

Agronomic practices need to be reoriented so that farmers adapt to climatic changes, he said.

Patnaik cautioned that while pursuing goals of the 2nd Green Revolution, the sustainability of methods adopted to achieve these goals should not be forgotten.

Excessive use of fertilizer and pesticides is undesirable and strategies should achieve sustainable and equitable growth of agriculture, he added.