HYDERABAD: Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that India was ready to work with G20 countries to find solutions to the challenges being faced in different sectors of agriculture. He said it was too early to say that the rains had failed.
Addressing the media on the first day of the G20 agriculture ministers meeting here on Thursday, the minister exuded hope that India would find solutions to these challenges through deliberations at the G20 meeting.
“We are encouraging crop diversification in Punjab and Haryana in order to ensure that farmers get more revenue while also minimising losses,” he said.
On the preparedness for boosting organic farming, he said, “Towards this, we have spent ₹1500 crore. India is developing climate-resilient seeds to mitigate crop losses due to climate change. The same will be useful to other countries facing similar challenges.”
On changing cropping patterns, Tomar said, “The effects of climate change are worrying. ICAR is devising seeds to survive this climate change.”
The inaugural G20 session will be held on Saturday which will be followed by ministerial meetings. On the agenda are issues related to food security, nutrition, digital technologies, agri-business, climate change and sustainable agriculture, which all be deeply deliberated, he said.
The culmination on June 17 will be marked by a declaration and a road map for the agriculture sector.
