India exploring ways to meet global farm challenges: Narendra Singh Tomar

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that the agriculture sector in the world is facing several challenges, and India is engaging with other nations in finding solutions for the same.

Addressing the media on the day of a three-day G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting here on Thursday, he said that India has made tremendous progress in several areas of the agriculture sector and expressed confidence in the country joining hands with other nations in finding solutions to the challenges faced by the agriculture sector during the deliberations at the G20 ministerial meeting.

He said that the centre has been encouraging crop diversification for more income and to minimize the losses to the farmers. Several initiatives have been implemented in states like Punjab and Haryana.

He hoped that farmers across the other parts of the country also adopt these changes in the coming years.

Tomar said that the government is also encouraging organic farming and has so far spent Rs 1500 crore on its implementation. Narendra Tomar said that India is developing climate-resilient seeds to mitigate crop losses due to climate change. Such initiatives will be used by other countries facing similar climate change-related issues.

He said the G20 meetings are receiving overwhelming responses from foreign delegates and international organisations.

The inaugural session will be held on Friday, followed by Ministerial meetings. He added that the meeting agenda for discussion at the meetings include food security, nutrition, digital technologies, agribusiness, climate change, sustainable agriculture and the like.

Tomar said that on the last day of the meeting on June 17, the G20 agriculture ministers will come out with a declaration and future road map for the agriculture sector.

Responding to the questions and the delayed monsoon during the current agriculture season, the minister said it would be too early to take a view.

However, the ministry and the concerned are already working on it. Also, how to face any challenge arising out of it, he added.