Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday assured the Chief Ministers that the Centre was willing to support their plans for enhancing productivity in the segment.
NEW DELHI: Worried over slowdown of agriculture sector due to 'technology fatigue,' Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday assured the Chief Ministers that the Centre was willing to support their plans for enhancing productivity in the segment.
Stating that small and marginal farming had become an unviable proposition, the Prime Minister told the 53rd meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) that until farming was made viable at this scale, it would be virtually 'impossible' to reduce rural poverty and distress.
He said the public and private investment in agriculture sector should be seen in the context of a larger trend whereby subsidies have been increasing and investments declining.
"One feature that stands out is the lack of any breakthroughs in agricultural production technology in recent years. There is a technology fatigue which we need to address," he said.
The Prime Minister said reversing the prolonged slowdown in the agriculture sector is essential for 'our goal of inclusive growth, for ensuring that growth benefits all sections of society and all regions of the country.'
He said the NDC could also consider launching a food security mission for raising production of wheat, pulses and edible oil to contain the rising prices.
The Prime Minister said there was also a need to focus on yield-gap reduction, saying the yield increase potentials varies from 40 to 100 per cent in various states and regions.
He said increased production in the next three or four years can only come from bridging this yield gap or expanding area.
Singh, however, observed that the scope for area expansion is extremely limited and hence there was a need to bridge the yield gap.
"Bridging these gaps requires localised and state specific strategies based on local agro-climatic conditions and constraints," he said.
"I believe that working together with the states, it is possible to evolve such plans and the Central government would be willing to support such plans on a reasonably large scale, on a scale large enough to make a visible impact," he said.
Among various steps taken by the government, the Prime Minister said the plan allocation in agriculture has been increased substantially and steps had been taken to deal with the problem of suicide prone districts.
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