Tirupati: Need to ensure food security stressed

Tirupati: A two-day national conference for post-graduate students on multi-dimension approach for sustaining food and nutritional security was inaugurated by ANGRAU vice-chancellor Dr Vishnuvardhan Reddy at S V Veterinary College auditorium here on Thursday. Dr R C Agarwal DDG (education) ICAR, New Delhi, was the chief guest and Dr S Rajendra Prasad, vice-chancellor UAS, delivered the key note address.

Speaking on the occasion T V Muralinath Reddy, member, board of management, stressed the need for nutritional security with balanced diet, eco-friendly agriculture, organic farming and said there was a need to look in to the role of minimum support price, subsidies in combating malnutrition and hunger.

Dr Vishnuvardhan Reddy while noting the tremendous progress in agriculture which resulted in increased food production called for enhanced efforts to raise pulse and edible oil production. He pointed out that there was a deficiency of 60 per cent in edible oils and the government was spending Rs 70,000 crores every year on imports of edible oils. He said household income of a farmer is Rs 6,426 per month, adding that agriculture production needed to be raised further since 57 per cent of population is dependent on farming which contributes 14.5-15 per cent to the GDP.

Dr S Rajendra Prasad, vice-chancellor, UAS, Bengaluru, said farmers' income can be doubled by increasing productivity, reducing input costs, and effective management of natural resources.

Special invitee Dr A Pratap Kumar Reddy and others spoke. Scientists from all over the country and about 600 students attending the meet.