The 2nd Agri-leadership Summit being organised at Surajkund from March 18-20 would provide a platform to focus on issues like doubling of farmers' income, soil health, aquaculture and agro industries, Haryana Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister O P Dhankar said here today.
He emphasised the need to have an effective chain right from cultivation to packing, branding and marketing. Giving an example, he said in the sale of potato chips, the farmer is ignored whereas being the grower of the crop, he should be an important factor in this chain.
"Agricultural products, being perishable, have a short life. Therefore, the farmers must cultivate need based crops in areas adjoining cities. Emphasis is being laid on bringing 25 per cent of the cultivable area under horticulture. Apart from a modern vegetable mandi, a flower mandi is also being developed," he added.
The minister said in milk production, Haryana is next to Gujarat and Punjab. "But as Haryana has potential to do better, it can excel in this field by promoting dairy farming as a profession and adopting some new means," he said.
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Dhankar said the 400 gaushalas in Haryana can contribute towards promotion of organic farming.
The concept of climate-smart agriculture or risk agriculture has already been adopted in some countries to meet the challenge posed by climate change. For instance, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is an initiative to meet such challenges, he added.
To a question, he said the state government is keen to set up a processing unit for horticulture crops and a mandi of frozen products to facilitate the sale of agri products in off season.