Anand Mahindra calls for boosting agricultural production

Drawing the government's attention to farm sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra said India's goal of becoming a global economic power cannot be achieved without increasing the country's agricultural production.

"If we want to build a shining India we should not forget agriculture...Crop diversification and irrigation should be the chief infrastructure the government should be investing in," Mahindra said here at an awards function.

India cannot become a superpower when it can't increase its agricultural production, he added.

Stressing on the importance of the role of agricultural sector in India's economic development, Mahindra said: "Only farmers can make India a superpower (that) it aims to be."

Speaking at the Mahindra Samriddhi India Awards that honours the change leaders in agriculture, he said the sector has been facing challenges due to erratic monsoon as well as low minimum support price of farm produce.

Speaking at the event, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said, "The Land Acquisition Bill, which we have brought, is in favor of farmers and if anyone wants to give any suggestions they can give it. That's why we are discussing it in Parliament. The right platform for discussing it is Parliament only."

Singh also added that technology plays important role in facing the challenge of food security as population is increasing but land remains the same.

The Minister added that Pradhan Mantri Sinchai Yojana is being launched and the government will also provide soil health card to all farmers by 2017.