Crop diversification can ensure rural prosperity especially farmers at this juncture, which will prove to be a game changer for all the agrarian states like Punjab, Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari said on Thursday.

Chairing a National Thematic Workshop on “Diversification of Crops” held at Indian School of Business, Mohali, the Chief Secretary stressed upon the need of crop diversification for whole of the nation and not only for Punjab and the role of stakeholder consideration in policy formulation for crop diversification plan on top agenda. “Main objective of crop diversification is to boost the prosperity of the farmers along with practicing sustainable agriculture,” he emphasised.

This event was organized by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Punjab under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India.

Addressing the inaugural session, Tewari added that efforts needed for crop diversification at this point of time will be no less than the efforts put by the stakeholders at the time of green revolution. He put forward an open question to all the participants about Why, What and How of crop diversification and stressed that the sessions should try to address these questions.

Welcoming the participants, Financial Commissioner, Agriculture  D.K. Tiwari put forward the views on the uncertainty of agriculture due to its dependency on natural forces. Quoting the food wastage generated every year, he stressed upon the steps to progress in the area of sustainable, viable agriculture with natural resource conservation.

Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor (Agriculture) to Niti Aayog disclosed the six themes identified by GOI in different field viz. crop diversification with self sufficiency in oil seed and pulses, water security, Health, Urban Governance, Promotion of exports. She emphasized to develop a road map for self sufficiency up to 2025 taking care of the state factors, resources and challenges in policy program.

The Chief Secretary also informed that a series of regional conferences on Crop Diversification involving the region specific issues would also be held in different region of the country and thereafter a consolidated report will be submitted to GOI.