TRADITIONAL TOUCH : Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy offers bananas to a bull at the function where he launched the Agriculture Technology Mission, in Hyderabad on Sunday. Ministers (from left) -- N. Raghuveera Reddy, J. Geetha Reddy (partly see n), P. Lakshmaiah and G. Surya Rao - look on. - Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Farmers in the State can now look forward to some assistance in fighting adverse seasonal conditions and also explore ways and means to give a boost to their productivity levels with the aid of the Agricultural Technology Mission (ATM) launched here on Sunday by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

`Farm realities'

The mission was launched in response to the call of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to usher in a second green revolution. In economic terms, it is meant to push the Compounded Annual Growth Rate of Agriculture Sector to 4 per cent.

The `farm realities' faced by the Government in the disturbing pattern and growth of agriculture and allied activities in the State were instrumental in arriving at the decision to launch the ATM, Dr. Reddy disclosed on the occasion.

The second green revolution or the `Agriculture Renewal' as sought by the Centre would not be achieved without a take-off point and the ATM would provide the platform for the exercise, Dr. Reddy who would be heading it, added.

Comprising Ministers and secretaries of allied departments as members, the ATM would work for ensuring coordination among them for strengthening agriculture research with focus on location-specific adoptive research and reorient agricultural extension system for empowerment of farmers.

Dr. Reddy said the launch was also an answer to any criticism of opposition parties that the Government was neglecting the farm sector. He said he pitied "those opposing every developmental work in the State including, the "Jalayagnam" which was sought to be scuttled by some through litigation."

The Government was confident of providing water to at least 60 to 70 per cent ayacut envisaged under 11 projects during the current year itself, he said.

Awards presented

Earlier, Dr. Reddy gave away awards to 25 farmers and 16 representatives of Government departments as well as the agriculture university for their `on-field' performance.

Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said the measures initiated by the Government had significantly brought down the number of suicide and increased confidence levels among the farming community.

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