Former President A P J Abdul Kalam today hoped that the country's overall foodgrains production would be better this year despite rainfall deficit.
Deficit rains have affected kharif (summer) crops in the 2014-14 crop year, forcing the government to keep kharif foodgrains output estimate slightly lower at 120.27 million tonnes. It is aiming to cover the likely gap in production in the ongoing rabi (winter) season.
"Inspite of rain problems, I hope this year we will have good crop. Last year, farmers had harvested over 260 million tonnes of foodgrains," Kalam said addressing a symposium organised by the Dabur group's subsidiary Ayurvet Ltd.
Farmers have been producing an average 200 million tonnes of foodgrains for last few years. However, there is a need to increase per capita income of farmers by encouraging farm production with value addition, he said.
"Agriculture has a key role in reducing poverty since maximum people live in rural areas... The global objective of halving poverly levels by 2015 is unlikely to be reached at current levels of assistance to agricutlure," Kalam said.
Asserting that the livestock development is directly proportional to national development through agriculture, Kalam called for investment in livestock sector.
In spite of pressure on land, scarcity of pasture land, shortage of feed and fodder and lower yields, the country's livestock sector is showing better promises than the agriculture sector, he noted.
To boost livestock sector, Kalam suggested additional physical and financial capital for introduction of new enterprises regarding livestock besides research and development in veterinary health.
