Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda has said that we not only have to work on increasing production, but also have to keep focus on entrepreneurship development in rural areas and contribution to the country's economy. The aim is to increase production with the aim of strengthening the rural economy and bringing all our farmers out of the poverty line, he said.
The Union Minister was addressing the inaugural session of the two-day brainstorming session on Agricultural Higher Processing for Lac and Tassar production systems as the chief guest, at the National Institute of Secondary Agriculture, Ranchi.
Munda said that if you think about tribal areas, instead of making an action plan only considering them poor and weak, there is a need to brainstorm on how entrepreneurship models can be developed there. The production should be in such a way that it can contribute to the development of the individual as well as the country. The action plan should be prepared keeping in mind the contribution to the economy, improvement in the way of life as well as maintaining the rural existence, because urbanization can be for providing benefits, but not for filling the stomach. Only rural life can give this. This two-day discussion should conclude that where we are today and where we should be in the future.
Munda said that the National Institute of Secondary Agriculture has completed 100 years and is constantly playing a major role in such events. The Institute has made significant contribution to lac cultivation and has developed technologies for mechanized primary processing, there is a need to work on how production can be systematically increased. It is necessary to make efforts to ensure temporary income of primary producers and villagers, because if we do not put efforts to strengthen the economy, it will remain only consuming. This brainstorming should strengthen the farmers. Through discussion, a roadmap should be prepared keeping the topic wise things in mind. The idea is to consider how the area can be developed as a hub, what kind of institutions can be started in this area for value addition with the aim of raw material. What is the value addition happening in lakhs, what is the export potential in Tasar, what are the possibilities of development in the vicinity, there should be a direction to benefit the people of the area in the form of production support, qualitative improvement and cash crops.
In this program, Director of the Institute, Dr. Abhijit Kar, Director of CTR&TI, Dr. R. Chaudhary Stakeholders including farmers, entrepreneurs and forest department officials from, Lac and Tasar participated.
