Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister
Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said a ‘Technological Mission on
Farm Mechanization’ was the need of the hour to overcome
productivity barriers and improve input-use efficiency.
He was addressing the inaugural session of AgroTech
2010 at Chandigarh.
Lauding farmers for their contribution, Hooda credited
them for the expected 8.9 percent growth rate of the country
in second quarter.
"We owe our prosperity to the Kisan’s(farmer’s)
trust and support as this (GDP) growth is mainly driven by
robust performance by the farm and services sectors”.
The farm sector grew at its fastest rate in 11
quarters at 4.4 percent, he said
The Chief Minister described agriculture as the safety
net for the country's economy.
Although it accounts for only about 17 percent of our
GDP, it continues to be main source of livelihood of more than
60 percent of our population, he said.
The Chief Minister, who is also the chairperson of ‘Working Group on Agricultural Production’, said the Agro
Industries, value addition in the agriculture sector and
ensuring farmers their due share in the enhanced value are the
way forward for promoting farmer’s prosperity.
"We need to reverse the trend of stagnancy in creation
of farm infrastructure and post harvest facilities and have to
promote public and private investments in agro business," he
added.
He said the time has come to usher in a second
green revolution and the agricultural sciences should work
together to provide the technological basis for new
breakthroughs.
Hooda asked the private sector to join hands with
public sector in development of heat tolerant wheat, salinity
resistant varieties of pulses and hybrids of various crops.
The Haryana Chief Minister also reacted to the comments
of Punjab Agriculture Minister Sucha Singh Langah who ‘thanked
the CII for holding the AgroTech fair at the land of Punjab’.
Amidst cheers, Hooda remarked ‘My friend Sucha Singh was
telling again and again and thanking CII for holding AgroTech
at the land of Punjab. My dear Sucha Singh ji, it (Chandigarh)
is the land of both Haryana and Punjab’.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, December 04, 2010, 20:25