At G20 meet, PM Modi bats for ‘fusion approach’ to tackle agriculture problems
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the G20 agriculture ministers meeting to deliberate on steps to undertake collective action for achieving global food security.
In a video address to the three-day meeting underway in Hyderabad, PM Modi highlighted the issue of climate change and how its consequences are borne mostly by the global South.
“Globally, agriculture provides livelihood for over two point five billion people. In the Global South, agriculture accounts for almost 30% of GDP, and over 60% of jobs. And today, this sector faces several challenges. The supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have been worsened by the impact of geo-political tensions,” PM Modi said.
“Climate change is causing extreme weather events more and more frequently. These challenges are felt most by the Global South,” he added.
On India’s agricultural policy, he said that it is the fusion of ‘back to basics’ and ‘march to future’ while promoting natural farming as well as technology-enabled Farming.
“Our farmers are proactively using technology to boost productivity. They are generating and using solar power on their farms. They are using Soil Health Cards to optimize crop selection, and drones to spray nutrients and monitor their crops. I believe this fusion approach is the best way to address several issues in agriculture,” PM Modi said.
Making a reference to 2023 being celebrated as the International Year of Millets, he said the superfoods are not only healthy to consume, but also help raise the incomes of farmers by using less water, needing less fertiliser, and being more pest-resistant.
Concluding his address, he said, “India’s G20 priorities in agriculture focus on healing our ‘One Earth’, creating harmony within our ‘One Family’ and giving hope for a bright ‘One Future’.”
The inaugural G20 session will be held on Saturday followed by ministerial meetings.
The major issues on the agenda include food security, nutrition, digital technologies, agri-business, climate change, and sustainable agriculture.