A stakeholders’ consultation meeting convened at Krishi Bhawan in New Delhi on September 03, 2024, under the theme ‘Transforming Agriculture Research –Enhancing Role of Private Sector’ saw discussions on shifting focus towards income-generating opportunities for small and marginal farmers. The consultation was chaired by Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Bhagirath Choudhary, and moderated by Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), and Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
The session was conducted in a hybrid format, with over 1,000 stakeholders participating from across the country. They included representatives from ICAR Institutes, Central and State Agricultural Universities, KVKs, private sector organizations, various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, senior officers from State Agriculture Departments, FPOs, progressive farmers, and other stakeholders.
The consultation began with the inaugural session where Choudhary highlighted the tremendous potential of current Indian agricultural landscape and shifting focus towards income-generating opportunities for small and marginal farmers.
The session then transitioned into discussions around two key areas, according to an official release. The first focused on reviewing the agricultural research setup to raise productivity and resilience in agriculture, while the second key area of discussion revolved around Public-Private Partnerships, including funding in ‘challenge mode’ to enhance agricultural research outcomes.
The exercise helped in highlighting practical and ground level issues which will help in strengthening the Public Private Partnership and the future course of action on the two key areas of the discussion. A roadmap will be prepared based on the recommendations for making the new technologies available to the farmers.
