The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has stressed the need to introduce structural reforms to make agriculture profitable and sustainable.Presenting Rythu Nestham Awards on the occasion of the 15th Anniversary of the publication of Rythu Nestham and two other journals Pasu Nestam and Prakruti Nestam at a function held in Swarna Bharat Trust, in Hyderabad today, he urged the Union Government and various State Governments to accord highest priority to agriculture, education and healthcare sectors.With 60 per cent of the population dependent on agriculture, he said the foremost priority must be accorded to promoting agriculture and making it viable and remunerative. Observing that there was a need for agricultural renaissance in the country, he said that there should be more focus on ensuring insurance, irrigation and infrastructure development, apart from providing timely credit to farmers.Pointing out that the Indian farmer was doing a pious duty in feeding millions of people, Shri Naidu said that the agriculture producer was getting less, while the trader was getting more. The government and the NITI Aayog should look into this aspect and make structural changes so that the farmer gets his due.
The Vice President also emphasized the need for diversification in agriculture and promotion of allied sectors like horticulture, poultry, pisciculture, aquaculture and sericulture to augment the income of the farmers. Food processing was one area which has immense potential and needs to be fully tapped, he added.Urging scientists to find ways for reducing the input costs for agriculture, Shri Naidu also called for revamping the curriculum of agricultural courses to ensure that students spend at 50 per cent of their study time by interacting with farmers in the fields. Spending time with the farmer in the field would be a huge learning experience for the students, he added.The Vice President also cautioned people against the growing incidence of lifestyle diseases and said that it was important to adopt healthy dietary practices. He also advised people to protect nature and preserve culture for a better future. The Governor of Telangana, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission, Shri Yarlagadda Lakshmiprasad and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.