Hyderabad, Feb 5: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India is not limited to food security, with empowerment in agricultural production, but also accord high priority on nutritious food security. Addressing the scientists after inaugurating the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at Patancheru on outskirts of the city, Mr Modi said that the Agricultural Universities, ICAR ( Indian Council of Agricultural Research) and ICRISAT should work together in this task.
Digital agriculture is our future and it is an important factor in changing India, he said the talented Researchers in India can do a great job in this regard. Efforts are constantly being made in India and has to see how the farmer can be empowered with digital technology, the Prime Minister said. We are working with a dual strategy, Mr Modi said, on one hand, we are bringing more area under irrigation by connecting rivers through water conservation while on the other hand, we are working on micro-irrigation to increase water use efficiency in the low-lying areas.
The Prime Minister said we have launched the National Mission for Empowerment in the production of cooking oils and with this mission, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh farmers will benefit more and added that we will provide all kinds of support from the Centre in line with the objective of Telangana palm oil cultivation. ICRISAT has five decades of experience and during this period, it has helped the agricultural sector in many parts of the world, including India , he said their research and technology have made farming easier and more sustainable in difficult situations. ICRISAT, the premier agriculture research institute, having experience in assisting other countries in facilitating agriculture, today, I hope they continue to offer their expertise to strengthen the India ‘ Agricultural’ sector, Mr Modi said in his 20 minutes speech.
