On August 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India is now a food surplus country and is working on how to address global food and nutrition challenge.
The 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) was opened in New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister also stated the following during his speech at the opening of the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), which takes place in India this year for the first time after 65 years: “The Union Budget 2024-25 focuses on sustainable agriculture.”
India hosted its last conference on this topic at independence, when agriculture and food security were still very challenging.
“Today, India is a food surplus country,” he said. He added that it is globally ranked number one in terms of milk production, pulses and spices.
Likewise, it has become second largest supplier of grains, vegetables, fruits, cotton, sugar as well as tea.
“There was a time when there was concern about India’s food security worldwide. Presently though, she has been seeking ways to offer global solutions towards world hunger as well as malnutrition,” he told the conference attended by around 1 thousand people from over seventy nations.
From August 2nd up to August 7th this triennial meeting will be held under the auspices of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
This year’s event goes by “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”.
Moreover all the new varieties created over a decade made up about nineteen hundred numbers which are climate resilient through supporting farming systems across different climatic conditions in the country according to him.
He also noted that organic farming without chemicals is being promoted by India with an aim to have twenty percent blending rate for petrol blending target reached with ethanol.
It will show how Indian policies have helped address some agricultural challenges faced globally during these other sessions while highlighting advancements made so far regarding its research work and policies in agriculture.
Young researchers as well as leading professionals will use this platform to present their ideas and interact with peers from all over the globe.
As a way of getting closer to the national and global policy levels, it is expected to strengthen ties between universities or research units while at the same time showcasing India’s agricultural development, which encompasses digital agriculture and sustainable agri-food systems.
