The Hindu : Naidu calls for drought-resistant crops

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 10, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Naidu calls for drought-resistant crops

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD DEC. 9. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, called upon agricultural universities to come up with cost effective farm production methods and develop crop varieties that can withstand calamities like drought.

Inaugurating the 27th Convention of the Indian Agricultural Universities Association, hosted by Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University, here today, Mr. Naidu said the country was unable to compete with other nations in exporting the surplus foodgrains because of the high cost of production. The cost of production was much less in China and the Philippines. Agriculture scientists should come up with solutions in this area.

The Vice-Chancellors and other officials of all the 38 State agricultural, veterinary and animal sciences universities and one Central University, are participating in the three-day convention, being held with the theme "Agricultural education, research and extension in the context of WTO.''

He said farm scientists should also think in terms of developing crop varieties which were resistant to drought conditions, now prevalent in 14 States. They should advise farmers on the kind of crops that can be grown in adverse conditions when the rainfall was meagre or with minimum water resources. Israel was able to grow crops even with 200 mm rainfall, using drip and sprinkler systems.

Mr. Naidu called for changing patent laws and gearing up of the farm sector to meet the challenges posed by WTO agreement. Describing agriculture as the backbone of economy, he said it contributed 27 per cent of the GDP providing employment to 60 per cent of the population. Production had gone up phenomenally. Yet, per capita availability of foodgrains had not increased. It was a case of hunger amid plenty, a paradox. On the other hand, farmers were not getting remunerative price for their produce, and stressed the need for backward and forward integration of agriculture.

The Agriculture Minister, V. Sobhanadreeswara Rao, called for recasting of policies and laws to meet the challenges posed by WTO. Farmers were caught between vagaries of nature and market forces. Panjab Singh, Director-General of Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), urged the delegates to come up with ways of ensuring balance between natural resources and improving agriculture production and productivity, even while meeting the increasing demands of a growing population.

I. V. Subba Rao, Vice-Chancellor of ANGRAU and president of IAUA, called for paradigm shift in thinking and public policies towards agriculture education, research, development and extension in tune with changing needs, emerging challenges and expanding opportunities and reorientation of efforts for faster and fruitful results.

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