On the second day of the three-day workshop on agriculture, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) on Thursday finalized a blueprint to enhance agriculture production by at least 50 per cent by 2030 on the same area of land.
The meet also raised concern over high water consuming crops after the advent of green revolution and asked the scientists to come out with strains of low water consuming, heat-resistant high-production crops.The meet, holding a brainstorming session on impending food crisis of the world due to explosion of population, moved with the focused approach to discus global agricultural situation, challenges and ways and means to tackle the same.
Prof Guy Poulter of Natural Resource Institute of University of Greenwich (UK) highlighted that with the population growth projected from six to nine billion by the year 2050 and Asia's population growth from 4.4-5.2 billion, the world would have to produce 50 per cent more food and energy on same area of land by 2030.Projecting a dismal scenario on availability of fresh water and energy, Prof Poulter said that currently agriculture sector was using 70 per cent of fresh water supply and this projected increase in production with the same type of seeds would require 30 per cent more fresh water triggering a water crisis in the world.
“We should learn a lesson from the pitfalls of green revolution and focus on low water consuming heat resistant and high yielding crops,” he said.
CPA SUPPORTS FOOD AND INPUT SUBSIDIES TO TACKlE RURAl POVERTY
The CPA has supported continuance of subsidies on food and agricultural inputs besides employment guarantee programmes to tackle the challenge of increasing rural poverty of the world.The agricultural economists have collectively gave a call to tackle rural poverty by aggressively promoting employment generating schemes besides tackling the problems of small farmers.
PS Birthal from the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research said that poverty has been identified as biggest problem in Asia with East Asia, besides the small size farm holdings were bane of poverty with 84 per cent of farmers of India having a farm holding less than 1.3 hectares.
“Strengthening roads, communication, storage, processing and ensuring institutional credit and insurance cover to all and reducing marketing costs, transaction risks could improve the status of small farmers,” he said.
CPA STRESSES ON EFFORTS TO TACKlE CHAllENGE POSED BY ClIMATIC CHANGES
International agriculture scientists, gathered in the city to deliberate on challenges in the agriculture sector, gave a collective call to work out a long term strategy to tackle effect of climate change on food production.
CSK HP Agricultural University, Palampur (HP), vice-chancellor Dr Krishan Kumar Katoch said that climatic changes would impact crop production due to average rise in temperature and precipitation patterns, increase in pests and invasive species, acute losses resulting from more frequent and intense weather extremes and impact of run offs, soil erosion, reduced infiltration from increased intensity of storm events.
Suggesting a seven point framework for sustainable production systems, Dr Katoch asked the government to encourage investment in identified agri-food areas saying that there was urgent need to enhance and stabilize the income level of farmers.
