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‘Farmers are in distress’: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar says it’s bad for the country
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said that farmers in distress, resorting to protests is not good for the overall well-being of the country.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday expressed concern that farmers are facing difficulties despite the existence of key institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
He said that farmers in distress, resorting to protests is not good for the overall well-being of the country.
“There is a need for introspection because farmers are in distress and suffering. If such institutes (like ICAR and its affiliates) were alive, and making contributions then this wouldn't be the situation...Such institutions are located in every nook and corner of the country, but the conditions of farmers are still the same,” said Dhankhar.
The Vice President was speaking at the centenary celebrations of the Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT). Based in Mumbai, CIRCOT is one of the leading institutes of the ICAR under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.
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He said India is set to become the world’s third-largest economy soon, up from the fifth position. However, to achieve developed nation status, every citizen's income must increase eightfold, with the majority of this growth coming from rural areas.
Today, farmers are resorting to agitations, the Vice President said, adding “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given message to the world that solutions can only come through dialogue.”
He urged the institutes active in the field of agriculture research to work towards encouraging farmers to add value to their products to boost their income.
Speaking on the occasion, Union agriculture and farmers' welfare and rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said India cannot become a rich country without its cultivators.
“A glorious, prosperous, rich India cannot be built without farmers. Even today, agriculture is the backbone of India's economy and farmers are its soul,” he added.
The minister said CIRCOT is the only institute in the country which is working for processing of mechanically picked cotton. “There is a need to adapt the plant and machinery for processing of mechanically harvested cotton. For this, a pilot plant facility will be arranged here (Mumbai). Necessary arrangements will be made to see how it can become an international centre for cotton genome,” Chouhan said.
