NEW DELHI: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said that if Madhya Pradesh has emerged amongst the leading states in the field of agriculture today, the role of Agricultural University, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and Indian Council of Agricultural Research lies at its strong foundation. He was addressing the 59th Foundation Day function of Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur. 

Tomar said that the Jabalpur Agricultural University is known across the country as an Institute of Excellence and this is a matter of pride for the people of the state working in the agriculture sector. Ever since this university was established in the year 1964, it has made a great contribution in advancing and upgrading the agricultural sector in the state. Madhya Pradesh has repeatedly received the prestigious Krishi Karman Award in the field of agriculture, for which the state deserves commendation. Greeting all associated with the University on its Foundation Day, Tomar said the inauguration of the Girls Hostel on this occasion is a new milestone in its glorious history.

Describing the relevance of Indian Agriculture, Tomar said that even during the Covid crisis, when all other sectors had come to a standstill across the world, even then all farming activities including sowing and harvesting was done in our fields and with the bumper yield, the government set up more procurement centers and transportation was also increased and all this while strictly following the two yards distance norm of Covid protocol. Later, with the sowing of next summer crops, record production was achieved. The GDP rate of Agriculture sector remained very positive even in adverse situation, for which our farmers and agricultural scientists deserve congratulations. 

Tomar said that the use of mechanization in agriculture should increase and more and more farmers should join the new 10,000 FPOs being set up, on which the Central Government is spending Rs 6,865 crore. Small farmers can take the advantage of mechanization, use technology, shift towards remunerative crops and use government facilities including processing, then they will definitely get better returns for their produce.

He said that in the era of climate change, our challenge has multiplied even more. The farmers have to depend on nature in spite of the availability of sufficient resources. In this regard, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided a shield to the farmers in the form of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. Claims worth Rs. 1.22 lakh crore have been settled against crop loss to farmers during the last 6 years. In view of the changing climate, research should be done in the direction of which methods the farmers should adopt, which processes and crops are tolerant to the climate and also sustain our production and productivity. He said that education plays an important role in the agriculture sector. An attempt has been made to integrate agricultural education in the new National Education Policy.