Ram Nath Kovind stresses need for modern agriculture, bats for better price for farm produce

Kanpur: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said that problems of farmers in various parts of a vast country like India are different and so solutions will have to be found according to their needs. Also, the president stressed the need to develop a composite approach towards modern agriculture and focus on food processing industry to give farmers better price for their produce. “In a country as vast as India, problems of farmers in different regions are different. We will have to find solutions according to their needs,” Kovind said in Kanpur after inaugurating the international conference ‘Agricon 2018’ and ‘Agriexpo 2018’ at Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology (CSAUT). [caption id=“attachment_3838873” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of President Ram Nath Kovind. Reuters[/caption] Expressing concerns over availability of water for irrigation purpose, the president said, “Water is a common concern. In this regard, the government has promoted the concept of “per drop, more crop” and this message should reach every farmer in the country.” Kovind also said that grain production, dairy farming, animal husbandry and fisheries, poultry, horticulture and sericulture should form part of a composite approach to modern agriculture. “There is also a need to encourage the food processing industry to give farmers a better price and a better deal for their produce,” he said. Suggesting all stakeholders to maintain quality of agri products, Kovind said it should be remembered that when these “are exported from the country the name of India is associated with them and so there can be no compromise with quality”. To sustain the demand for such farm-based products, Kovind said, quality has to be maintained and people have to have faith in it for being of international standard. The president said that in today’s time, the slogan of “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” has become even more relevant. “While our army is valiantly battling terrorists and continuously striving to keep our borders and our nation safe, our farmers are working hard to ensure food security for the country. The government is fully committed to empowering both our armed forces and our farmers,” he said. Later in the day, delivering the Barrister Narendrajit Singh Memorial Lecture at VSSD College, the president said the poor pay heavily for delay in justice delivery. To overcome such delay, “we must make constant efforts for judicial reforms”, Kovind said. The president, however, said that he was happy to note that many high courts are taking effective steps to deal speedily with long-pending cases.