PM pitches for use of technology in farming, unveils kisan channel

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made a strong pitch for using modern technology in agriculture saying the prosperity and development of villages was directly linked to country’s progress.

Modi, while launching a dedicated kisan channel aimed at providing information about best agricultural practices and related content, said increase in per hectare productivity along with production of pulses, oilseeds and timber would help push India out of dependence on imports.

The PM underlined the relevance of genetic engineering in improving the quality of produce and asked farmers to adopt a three-pronged approach in agriculture, balancing farming, animal husbandry and tree plantation.

He emphasised the importance of weather forecasts and global economic trends while making choices and accruing economic gains from the fields.

The Prime Minister said the DD Kisan Channel should focus on informing farmers about changes in weather, global markets, which they could use to plan ahead and take right decisions.

The Prime Minister said he followed at least four prediction agencies to learn about weather across the world.

As he talked of multi-cropping and diversification, the Prime Minister hoped trillions of rupees spent on launching new satellites would help farmers in making right decisions.

The channel, launched on a day the Modi government completed one year in power, would provide round-the-clock information to the farming community on various aspects.

The Prime Minister said the “neglected” sector needed to be made “vibrant and dynamic”. Modi, whose government has been dubbed “anti-farmer” by the Congress, used the occasion to highlight his government’s commitment towards farmers.

“We will have to move forward accepting the fact that if our country has to progress, the villages of the country will have to progress. If villages have to progress, then agriculture will have to be developed by giving it a priority. This is directly related to the economy of India,” he said.

He stressed the need to create an atmosphere of competition in the field of farm production at the tehsil level. “Food productivity needs to be increased from current two tonnes per hectare to three tonnes per hectare,” he said.

He also called for making “tehsil” the unit of agricultural planning and development. The TV channel could arrange competitions to judge the best farmer on the lines of song and dance programmes organised by entertainment channel, he added.

He credited the increase in grain production to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and his slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, while skipping any reference to Prime Ministers belonging to the Nehru-Gandhi family.

He also steered cleared of making any mention of the contentious Land Acquisition Bill. Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh said the channel would help take new research technologies from “lab to the land”.