5-Dec-2022: Union Agriculture Minister inaugurates the National Conference on Soil Health Management for Sustainable Farming
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today inaugurated the National Conference on Soil Health Management for Sustainable Farming. On this occasion, Shri. Tomar said that due to chemical farming and other reasons, soil fertility is getting eroded and climate change is going to be a big concern for the country as well as the world. He said Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has concerns about climate change and from time to time prepares plans and keeps working on these plans. He said Prime Minister Shri Modi is committed towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and World Soil Day, NITI Aayog in collaboration with GIZ affiliated to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany, Chief Guest Shri Tomar said that the lack of organic carbon in the soil is a serious concern for us. To meet this serious challenge and for better soil health, we have to promote natural farming, which is beneficial for the environment. He said that to promote natural farming, the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi is working with the States. The Government has re-adopted the Indian Natural Farming System for Agriculture. Natural Farming System is an ancient technique used by farmers for farming and at that time people also knew how to live in harmony with the nature, he added. States like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu etc. have made many innovations to promote natural farming. During the last year, an additional area of 4.78 lakh hectares has been brought under natural farming in 17 States. To promote natural farming, the Central Government has approved the National Mission on Natural Farming as a separate scheme with an expenditure of Rs. 1,584 crores, Shri Tomar said. Under the Namami Gange programme, the project of natural farming is going on along the banks of the Ganges, while the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and all Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Central and State Agricultural Universities and Colleges are making all-round efforts to promote natural farming.
Shri Tomar said that the Government of India is also working through Soil Health Card. In two phases, more than 22 crore Soil Health Cards have been distributed to farmers across the country. Infrastructure development is also being done by the Government under the Soil Health Management Scheme, in which there is a provision to set up different types of Soil Testing Laboratories. So far, 499 permanent Soil Testing Laboratories, 113 Mobile Soil Testing Laboratories, 8,811 Mini Soil Testing Laboratories and 2,395 Village-level Soil Testing Laboratories have been established. He said that there was a time when the policies were production-oriented, due to chemical farming, agricultural yield increased, but now the situation has changed, and with climate change, keeping soil health intact is a big challenge. He said that if an attempt is made to exploit the earth contrary to the principles of nature, the consequences can be dangerous. Today, due to chemical farming, the soil's fertility is being eroded, the country and the world should avoid this and fulfill our environmental responsibility.
In the conference, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Shri Suman Berry, Member Prof. Ramesh Chand, CEO Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Senior Advisor Ms. Neelam Patel, Central Agricultural University Vice Chancellor of Jhansi, Dr. A.K. Singh and Mr. Drik Steffis, along with several scientists, policymakers and other stakeholders were present. Various technical sessions were addressed by experts at the conference.
5-Dec-2022: India must strive to become the global capital of millets: Shri Piyush Goyal
Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal said that India must strive to become the global capital of millets. He was addressing the gathering at the ‘Millets-Smart Nutritive Food’ Conclave in New Delhi today.
The Minister said that the Millets-Smart Nutritive Food Conclave and the first international buyer-seller meet on millets being held on the side-lines of the Conclave would help prepare the country for the ‘International Year of Millets 2023’. He added that UN has accepted 2023 to be the international year of millets at India’s request which was endorsed by over 70 countries.
The Minister referred to India’s presidency of the G20 and the presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and said that this mantle of leadership clearly reflected India’s growing stature in the world stage.
Shri Goyal pointed out that India had celebrated its Year of Millets in 2018 and said that the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had consistently promoted millets as a food that will help take nutrition to the remotest parts of India and the world. The world has accepted several such initiatives championed by India from Yoga to Millets, a clear reflection of the Prime Minister’s global leadership and the success of his bid to promote the India-story across the world, he opined.
The Minister observed that the call for ‘LIFE-Lifestyle for Environment’ given by the Prime Minister had also found resonance all over the world, making it realize that it must adopt a much more sustainable lifestyle. He underscored that the world has been looking up to the leadership of PM Modi to resolve significant global problems, be it climate change, post-pandemic economic recovery or the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. “PM Modi is working towards collective global good and resolving global problems and millets is one such initiative that will solve the global problem of malnutrition and take affordable food to parts of the world where we face problems of malnutrition or food security”, he said.
The Minister lauded APEDA for the remarkable work it had done so far and expressed confidence that its efforts would promote Indian millets all over the world and link India with international markets.
Shri Goyal termed millets and ‘nature’s gift to mankind’ because of its tremendous nutritive value. Quoting PM Modi, the Minister said that “millets or coarse grains have been a part of India’s agriculture, culture and civilization since ancient times” and added that millets are both climate friendly and capable of combating lifestyle diseases. He spoke of the value of millets as a fodder and said that millets had truly multidimensional benefits.
The Minister called for many more such international buyer-seller meets, food festivals, culinary competitions around millets and opined that millets could also be made a part of the mid-day meal program.
The Minister pointed out there were around 250 startups being supported by the centre working on millets and that Indian Institute of Millets Research has been incubating startups on millets and suggested that the Indian Institute of Packaging could be roped in to innovate and improve packaging of millets and millet products.
The Minister asked that ‘NOURISH’ be used as our call to action for promoting millets;
- ‘N’ for ‘newer markets and destinations’,
- ‘O’ for the need to promote ‘organic methods’ of millet cultivation to make it more valuable and acceptable globally
- ‘U’ for protection and GI tagging of ‘unique varieties’ of millets
- ‘R’ for ‘research on millets’ to develop faster growing, tastier varieties of millet and to expand market potential
- ‘I’ for more ‘industry involvement’ in product, market and value chain development
- ‘S’ for ‘standards and ‘sustainability’ to ensure the high-quality millets and millet products
- ‘H’ for ‘home markets’ and ‘high productivity’
The Minister said that we must work together to mainstream the millet story and make millets globally acceptable to solve problems of malnutrition and starvation that many parts of the world continue to face.
In his address, Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Sunil Barthwal said that many of the millet-related startups came into this business after PM Modi declared that 2023 would year of Millets. He added that several more buyer-seller meets would be organized in India and abroad in the time to come to promote millets and millet products.
Pointing out that this was a new beginning where processors were directly procuring from farmers, Shri Barthwal said that this would benefit both farmers and startups. I am sure the culture of growing and consume millets will increase over the next few years, he observed.
Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Shri Manoj Ahuja, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri S Srinivas, Chairman, APEDA, Shri Angamuthu, senior government officials and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
30-Nov-2022: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar addresses the Sustainable Agriculture Summit and Awards function
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that today educated youth are getting attracted towards Agriculture sector and the government is continuously encouraging them through various schemes and programmes to join the Agriculture sector. Shri Tomar said this as the chief guest at the 2nd Sustainable Agriculture Summit & Awards organized by FICCI in New Delhi today.
Emphasizing on adopting a holistic approach in the Indian agriculture sector, Shri Tomar said that there is a need to have a balanced-holistic approach in the agriculture sector, which will lead to more rapid development of agriculture. Shri Tomar said that in the agriculture sector, instead of focusing on only a few crops, we should have a diversified vision for all crops, including increasing production and productivity. Shri Tomar said that agriculture has always been the priority of our country and we Indians have expertise in it. Agriculture is necessary for food security, but in the present political scenario, neighbouring, friendly and needy countries also need our help, for which our agriculture sector is also important.
Explaining the importance of millets (nutritious cereals) in the Indian tradition, Shri Tomar said that the demand and consumption of millets is increasing globally. On the initiative of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared 2023 as the 'International Year of Millets', for which preparations are being made by the government. Prime Minister Shri Modi wants that nutri-cereals get respect again in the food platter, as it used to get earlier.
Shri Tomar said that after Shri Modi became the Prime Minister, an era of enthusiasm has been created in the agriculture sector of the country. He said that there are about 86 percent small farmers in the country, to promote whom the central government has taken several concrete steps, including a scheme to set up 10,000 new FPOs with an expenditure of Rs 6,865 crore. The central government is providing short-term loans to small farmers at concessional interest, increasing the limit to Rs 18 lakh crore. The central government has also focused on filling the gaps in agriculture infrastructure across the country. For this, the government has given one lakh crore rupees. Agriculture Infrastructure Fund has been set up, while many concrete measures have been taken for improvement in the areas related to agriculture including animal husbandry and fisheries. Explaining the importance of technology in the agriculture sector, he said that the government has allowed the use of drones in agriculture, while the scope of micro-irrigation along with emphasis on natural and organic farming to reduce the impact of climate change in the agriculture sector is also being expanded.
On this occasion, Joint Secretary of Agriculture Ministry, Shri Praveen Samuel along with many officials and entrepreneurs of FICCI and Yes Bank were present.