NEW DELHI: Identifying agriculture and food production as the “second strength” of the seven streams (Sapta Dhara) of power that can take India to “new heights” in the next 5-7 years, PM Narendra Modi Saturday pitched for transitioning to chemical-free farming and creating integrated farm-to-export supply chains for millets, spices and fruits.“We have to move from the farm to the export market. Whether it is our traditional cuisine, our millets, our spices, our fruits or our flowers, we have so much to offer. These should become global brands. Our farmers should give greater impetus to chemical-free farming, as the demand for such products is only going to increase across the world,” said Modi. He said, “If our agricultural products meet global parameters in every respect, we will be able to reach markets across the world with ease.“Absence of supply chain is currently one of the main obstacles before farmers in moving towards crop diversification. Despite attempts to move towards climate-resilient millets, farmers have not found millets as attractive as water-guzzling sugarcane and paddy in terms of getting an assured income.
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Govt’s focus on tapping the global market through export promotion and creation of adequate supply chains may be an effective step towards crop diversification, to attain the twin goals of increasing farmers’ income and promoting sustainable farming through judicious use of inputs. “We must move forward in the direction of food processing as well… Because of FTAs, we are getting access to a very large market, and we must reach them...,” said the PM while outlining the seven streams (Sapta Dhara) of power before the country. He identified “manufacturing” as the first strength and “technology and innovation” as the third strength of the seven streams that can pave the way for a developed India by 2047.
