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| Ansari: Let J&K pilot Green Revolution II | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Nov 25
Describing the grassroots agriculture sector as path to prosperity and normalcy, the Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari has strongly called upon the Government of India to initiate the second green revolution from Jammu and Kashmir.
Ansari was addressing the fourth convocation of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology at Srinagar Sunday. Governor SK Sinha and Chief Minister Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad were also there.
Ansari, who was also chairman of a Prime Minister's Working Group on J&K, said the adverse impact of the low growth in agriculture had implications for the inclusiveness of growth and there was need to refocus efforts on the agriculture sector not in J&K alone but in the rest of the country as well. He suggested that central government start on pilot basis the proposed push to agriculture from the State.
The Vice President of India went on to say, "I would venture to say that the Government of India's proposed push to agriculture through a Second Green Revolution could start from Jammu & Kashmir on a pilot basis. Highlighting the importance of agriculture for economic growth, the Vice President said that for a state like Jammu & Kashmir that had faced the problem of militancy for about two decades, the path back to normalcy and eventual prosperity was through, what he called, the down to earth and grass-root sector of agriculture. He said this sector had the potential of not only revitalizing the economy of J&K but also bring about greater social inclusion and sustainable rehabilitation while preserving the unique cultural and religious heritage of the State.
Ansari said that at the national level, while the current share of agriculture in GDP was around 18.5%, the growth rate in the agriculture sector had been a mere 2.7% in the last financial year. Yet, he said, more than half of the population directly depended on this sector. He said that agriculture with allied sectors like horticulture, forests, sericulture, fisheries and animal husbandry, was pivotal to the economy of J&K as it contributed more than 50 % to the net domestic product of the State and was the main source of livelihood for about 80 % of the population. He, however, said that productivity of most crops was below the national average with the result that the State suffered a deficit in food crops. He also referred to the low percentage of area under irrigation compared to the net sown area and disparity between the ratio of animals and gross cropped area under fodder cultivation in the State and called upon the teachers and graduates of the university to appropriately respond to these challenges.
The Vice President said that the low levels of employment opportunities in J&K were a matter of concern and the need of the hour was to think innovatively. He said the University had a role to play in this fascinating venture and outlined some possibilities like modulating of syllabus and curriculum to the agro-economic needs of the State, launching of adult literacy and skill up-gradation programmes in employment intensive sectors like agriculture, horticulture, food processing and agro-tourism and exploring the opportunities for imparting entrepreneurial skills to students to allow them use their energy to start out on their own. He said the new reality of globalization had placed a special responsibility on agricultural universities to impart training to students on global factors like climate change, environmentally sustainable development and multilateral negotiations and agreements on agricultural products impacting the agricultural sector in the country. |
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