The Hindu : National : “Need for a second green revolution”

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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
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“Need for a second green revolution”

Staff Reporter

We are striving hard for food security: Pratibha

JAMMU: A second green revolution must be undertaken to enhance agriculture productivity, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil has said.

“The world today is faced with a situation of increased demand and a shortage in the supply of foodgrains, resulting in a spiralling of foodgrain prices and also possibly a difficult global food situation, the President said. “This is an urgent challenge of our times and a second green revolution that will enhance agricultural productivity as also adopt new technologies for the optimum utilisation of agricultural produce must be undertaken.” She was addressing the second convocation of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Jammu, at the University of Jammu on Monday.

Quoting Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, she said, “Everything can wait, but not agriculture.” This was of special relevance globally as the country was at a critical juncture striving hard to achieve food security and eradicate hunger and poverty.

Attributing huge losses of agricultural produce to the lack of post-harvest technology, infrastructure and storage facilities, she said, “In India, we are wasting more than what many other countries are able to produce. Therefore the universities should engage themselves in evolving new scientific methods for post-harvest operations, creating proper storage facilities and and food processing units close to production centres in rural areas.”

Eight students were awarded gold medals for topping in B.Sc. Agriculture and Bachelor of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, while 27 were conferred Ph.D.

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