Combination of IT and agricultural technology will improve agricultural sector: Venkaiah Naidu

Hyderabad, November 16: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has called upon the scientists, technology experts and policy makers as well as the programme implementers to come up with a strategy that will bring a significant, sustainable change in the agriculture landscape of Andhra Pradesh and India.

The Vice President said that agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy. Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry contributes around 17 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2016-17 at 2011-12 prices, he added.

“We have formidable challenges confronting us and we have set for ourselves a very ambitious target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. If we have to achieve this, the progress in various sources of growth has to be accelerated by 33 percent.”

He further emphasizes that the business as usual will not do and we have to innovate, work with farmers to infuse knowledge and technology. We must use technology to enhance productivity and see that the economic benefits of increased production reach all the farmers, he added.

The Vice President said that growing needs of our country’s increasing population require us to evolve our own home grown food security strategy. He further said that increased production and efficient distribution of food grains can move our country forward to achieve the goal of zero hunger and adequate nutrition for all.