Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has stressed the need to introduce structural reforms to make agriculture profitable and sustainable. Presenting Rythu Nestham Awards on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the publication of Rythu Nestham and two other journals Pasu Nestam and Prakruti Nestam at a function held in Swarna Bharat Trust, in Hyderabad, he urged the Union Government and various State Governments to accord highest priority to agriculture, education and healthcare sectors.
With 60% of the population dependent on agriculture, he said the foremost priority must be accorded to promoting agriculture and making it viable and remunerative. Observing that there was a need for agricultural renaissance in the country, he said that there should be more focus on ensuring insurance, irrigation and infrastructure development, apart from providing timely credit to farmers. Pointing out that the Indian farmer was doing a pious duty in feeding millions of people, Naidu said that the agriculture producer was getting less, while the trader was getting more.
The government and the NITI Aayog should look into this aspect and make structural changes so that the farmer gets his due. The Vice President also emphasized the need for diversification in agriculture and promotion of allied sectors like horticulture, poultry, pisciculture, aquaculture and sericulture to augment the income of the farmers. Food processing was one area which has immense potential and needs to be fully tapped, he added.
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