GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO CREATE ESSENTIAL
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR PRESERVATION, TRANSPORTATION AND PROCESSING
OF
AGRICULTURAL
PRODUCE- RAJNATH SINGH
The Government
intends to create the essential infrastructure for preservation,
rapid transportation, grading, processing, packaging and quality
control of agriculture produce. The Agriculture Minister, Shri
Rajnath Singh said this while inaugurating an International Workshop
on Agricultural Diversification and Vertical Integration in South
Asia here today. Stressing the need to suitably integrate production
and marketing of high value commodities through appropriate institutions,
he said that developing and strengthening the desired institutions
through legal changes would go a long way in boosting agricultural
growth, augmenting income of small farm holders and promoting
exports.
The Minister informed
the gathering that the Government has identified horticultural
crops as a means of diversification for making agriculture more
profitable through efficient land use, optimum utilization of
natural resources and creation of skilled employment for rural
masses, especially women folk. He said that forward and backward
integration leading to better post harvest management and higher
value addition would require substantive reforms in the policies
of the country. Shri Rajnath Singh welcomed private sector participation
in the task of promoting agricultural diversification and vertical
integration.
The Minister said
that the inter-Ministerial Task Force on Agricultural Marketing
Reforms set up by the Agriculture Ministry has suggested promotion
of new and competitive agricultural markets in private and cooperative
sectors to encourage direct marketing and contract farming programmes.
The Task Force has further suggested that industries and large
trading companies undertake procurement of agricultural commodities
direct from the farmer’s fields and establish effective linkages
between the farm production and retail chains.
Eminent policy
planners, scientists and managers representing various countries
and international organizations are taking part in the Workshop.
The two-day Workshop has been organized by the International Crops
Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
