CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that the Haryana Government had set a target to double agriculture production by 2020 and urged the Scientists to provide latest agriculture technology to the farmers to achieve this objective.     

Hooda, who was addressing farmers, agriculture scientists and industrialists after inaugurating Agriconclave and Agromax Haryana-2009 organised at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar on Sunday, said that the country needed second green revolution and the onus of bringing about this revolution lay on farmers, agriculture scientists and all people related to industries.
      
He said that the water resources in the State were depleting day-by-day and agriculture production had come to stand still over the last few years, which is a matter of great concern.  He urged the agriculture scientists to make efforts to replenish the aquifer in the State so as to combat global warming effectively. To bring about second green revolution in the State, the Scientists would have to
evolve modern agriculture equipments and advanced seeds capable of yielding more production by consuming less water. The farmers should take up double crop pattern to increase  foodgrain production and their income as well, he added.
      
The Chief Minister said that with the World Trade Organisation coming into being, the farmers of the State would have to compete globally, which is a challenge for both farmers and agriculure scientists. Latest agriculture techniques should be provided to the farmers to increase production in the farm sector.  The industrialist should set up food processing plants so that better marketing facilities could be made available to the farmers.
      
The Congress Government had always accorded top priority to the farmers’ interest. The UPA Government in the Centre had waived off loans of the farmers of the country amounting to Rs. 71,000 crore.
      
Speaking on this occasion, the Agriculture Minister, Haryana, Paramvir Singh said that the Agriculture Department had set a production target of 1.28 lakh tonne for Rabi crops. The Agriculture Scientists should come forward to achieve this increased target. The Haryana, which was once  called Dust Bowl, had now turned into Food Grain Bowl with the hard work of the farmers and the innovative policies and programmes of the State Gsovernment. However, to sustain the agriculture production had become a big challenge to the farmers, he added.
      
He said that the State Government was observing the current financial year as Kisan-Mazdoor Varsh. Efforts would be made to strengthen the economic condition of the farmers during the year. The interest rate on crop loans had been reduced from 11 per cent to four per cent to provide a big relief to the farmers.
      
Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a 91.2 mega heards, community radio station set up at a cost of Rs. 25 crore at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar.  The Radio Station would provide services to the farmers within the radious of 30 kms.
      
Speaking on the occasion, HAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr. K.S. Khokhar lauded the policies implemented by Haryana  government for the welfare of farmers of the state in last four and a half years.  To further
boost agriculture production in the state he called upon agro-industry to come forward and  develop links with the farm varsity for collaborative research.  He said that the agro-industry gets raw material from farmers who in turn look forward to farm varsities for better technology.  He said both industry and farmers would be benefited from the industry-university linkage.
      
Expressing gratitudes to the Chief Minister for providing extra grant to the university to clear its budget deficit of 80 crores he urged upon him to consider a  separate budget line to release annual budget
grant to the university on the line of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
      
Setting the tone of the Agri Conclave, Mr N K Minda, Chairman CII Haryana State Council said, “The main objective of this mega event is to increase knowledge dissemination, technology adoption and awareness creation among the farmers of Northern Region. It will help in identifying the areas of potential and inducing investment in agriculture and allied sectors in the region including agro chemicals, agro fertilizers, horticulture, and floriculture,”.
     
Minda urged he farmers to take leverage the Kisan Goshthis, being organised in the Agri Conclave These interactive sessions specially designed suiting to the needs of over 3000 visiting farmers regarding information on agricultural inputs, will help in increase farm productivity and income, stated Minda   

Rahul Mirchandani, National Chair CII”s Young Indians’. sharing about the special efforts being made for educating and empowering the farmers. said, “ To enable the farmers have the exposure to the best practices, Young India has tied up with 56 universities under the programme, Uni Connect, to reach out farmers and bridge the gap between lab to land. Another major initiative includes orientation of the farmers to the best as well next practices through 768 post offices under MCEx wherein post offices staff is engaged to provide information to the farmers on train the trainer concept.” The Chief Minister also released Annual Activity Review of CII-Yi-Aries Agro National Farmers Network .
      
Detailing about the vision behind the event, Charu Mathur, regional Director, CII Northern Region said, “The Second Green Revolution is possible only when affordable and practical technologies, services and products permeate to marginal farmers, leading to substantial increase in rural incomes. Here is where events like Agri Conclave step in - bridging the gap between agri technology
and its end user.”
      
The two day exposition at the Agri Conclave is showcasing the best agricultural practices and technologies by the Government, leading corporates in the field and R & D institutions under one umbrella. Some of the participating companies including Rallis India, IPL Biotech, B xyer Crop science Ltd, Dhanuka Agri Tech, Andreas Sthal Pvt Ltd, Agriculture Insurance Company, Jain Irrigation Systems Limited , Bharat Insecticide, Osaw Agro Industries P Ltd, Mosaicco Fertilizers , Aries Agro Ltd, Beri Udyog Ltd, Tata Chemicals, International Panacea Ltd, Sonalika Tractors, P I Industries Ltd are showcasing wide array of products like seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, processing
techniques, farm equipments including latest models of tractors, irrigation techniques, demonstrative models depicting the best farming practices.
      
The exposition is open at the HAU grounds on 30th November 2009 from 10 am to 5 pm, a must visit for any one and every one associated with the field of agriculture be it farmer, researcher of corporate
manager.