New Delhi (NVI): Vice President Venkaiah Naidu today called upon institutions like the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) to utilize technological advancements to improve the life of farmers and ensure that their research reaches the farm.
Speaking at the 58th Convocation of the IARI here, Naidu lauded the Institute’s achievements as truly remarkable in post-green revolution phase, considering the quantum jump in the country’s foodgrain production from 50.82 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 283.37 million tonnes in 2018-19.
The Vice President lauded the institution for developing several bio-fortified maize hybrids rich in lysine, tryptophan and pro-vitamin A and pearl millet, lentil varieties rich in iron and zinc and said that it was indeed a step in the right direction for making India nutritionally secure.
Stating that all efforts must be made to double the income of the farmers in the next few years, the Vice President called for concerted efforts to improve agricultural productivity. He also stressed the need for diversifying traditional cropping systems as it would reduce economic risk while increasing the scope for higher profitability.
