Farmers must Diversify to take up allied Activities like Poultry, Dairy and Fisheries

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu said that innovative practices must come into farm sector to make it sustainable and profitable. He was addressing the inauguration of year long Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Assam Agricultural University, in Jorhat, Assam. The Governor of Assam, Shri Jagadish Mukhi, the Minister for Agriculture, Assam, Shri Atul Bora and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that achieving self sufficiency in the pulses and oilseed sector is challenge before the country. I am sure that with the dedication demonstrated by our agriculturists and the cutting edge research being conducted in our laboratories, we will achieve self sufficiency even in these two crops soon, he added.

The Vice President said that India needs to respond effectively to the changing needs of our farm sector for a sustained food security. He further said that contemporary realities like climate change, fatigued soil health, diminishing water resources and endangered bio-diversity are affecting the farm sector. Farming profession is becoming increasingly uneconomical and, therefore, unattractive, he added.

The Vice President said that fewer people than earlier are now opting for agriculture. We need highly skilled and motivated human resources, persons who will think out of box and institutions that will foster innovation, he added.

The Vice President called on scientists and governments to encourage farmers to diversify and take up allied activities like poultry, dairy and fisheries adding that increase only production may not encourage people to join farming. He further said that there a big unmet demand for dairy and meat products in the entire north eastern region and there is a need to turn this challenge into an opportunity. Farmers who toil on the farms should be empowered with knowledge, financial credit, warehousing and insurance facilities and we need to re-think and revitalize agricultural education and research, he added.