BANGALORE: Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan said on Saturday that United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre would announce an agriculture policy, particularly for dry regions such as Rajasthan and Karnataka, with an emphasis on saving rainwater.

Delivering the valedictory address of the Fifth International Conference of the Asian Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, the Minister hinted that it might be included in the 11th Plan to come into effect from April next. He said the Union Government had taken steps to maintain food security to protect people from hunger. Acute shortage of foodgrains was one of the reasons that led to the disintegration of the erstwhile Soviet Union and the fall of the Indonesian Government led by Suharto decades ago, he said.

Mr. Rajasekharan said India, which had a food deficit in the 1970s, had made great strides and had sufficient stocks now. He said the drastic changes in the climatic conditions were making farming difficult.

Showering encomiums on the State Government for announcing an agriculture policy, Mr. Rajasekharan expressed happiness over the Bhoomi and Nemmadi programmes for farmers. He said the other States should emulate Karnataka in introducing information technology for the betterment of farmers.

Agriculture Minister Bandeppa Kashempur, who presided over the meeting, said the State Government was forming a Rain-fed Area Commission for looking into the problems of the dry land farming.

A. Ramaswamy, Principal Secretary, welcomed the gathering. Sesina Ninomia, Secretary General of the Asian Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, and V.C. Patil president-elect of the federation, spoke.

M.N. Sheelavantar and Kulkarni, vice-chancellors of the University of Agriculture Sciences, Bangalore and Dharwad, respectively, were present.

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