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To Meet Future Food Demand, Need to Develop Ag Sector

New Delhi: The government said that, in order to meet future demand of food grain, the country's farm sector needs to be developed further, which some estimates show could reach 355 million tonnes by 2030.

A latest paper prepared by Grant Thornton and industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has projected food grain demand to reach 355 million tonnes in next 13 years from the current 250 million tonnes.

While addressing a three-day event on farm machination, Minister for State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, "Even though, we have been nearly sufficient on food production, we have to keep ourselves prepared for future need."

He was quoted as saying in an official release, in view of rising food grain demand, there is a need to further develop the farm sector by plugging the existing gaps.

Talking about role of farm machinery in doubling farmers' income, the minister suggested commodity-specific farm equipment would help increase mechanization.

He also said, "Attempts should be to diversify the pattern of mechanization in India. Time has come to get the farm equipment industry into a loop and enter into meaningful discussions for spreading the culture of mechanization in the rural areas."

The minister stressed the need to provide farmers with all the tools to optimize the output on their farms considering the growing and limited arable land. Noting that lack of manpower is leading to shift to farm machineries.

By subsidizing purchase of equipment through a scheme of Sub-Mission of Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) that promotes models of custom hiring as well, the government is therefore promoting farm mechanization, he added.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

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