Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that India has become a food surplus country and is working to provide solutions for global food and nutritional security.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) being held in India after 65 years, the Prime Minister also said that the Union Budget 2024-25 is focused on sustainable agriculture.
Given that the last time the conference was held here, India recently gained independence, and it was a challenging time for the country’s agriculture and food security.
He said, “Now, India is a food surplus country,” he said that the country is the number one producer of milk, pulses and spices in the world.
Also, the country has become the second largest producer of food grains, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugar and tea.
He said at the conference, “There was a time when India’s food security was a matter of concern for the world. Now, India is working to provide solutions for global food security and global nutrition security.” The conference was attended by about 1,000 delegates from around 70 countries.
The Trinity Conference organized by the International Association of Agricultural Economists is being held from 2 to 7 August.
The theme of this year’s conference is “change towards sustainable agricultural-food systems”. The Prime Minister also said that India has provided 1,900 new climate-flexible varieties of crops in the last 10 years. He said that India is promoting chemical -free natural farming.
He said that the country is moving towards achieving 20 percent ethanol mixture in petrol. The conference will highlight India’s active approach to global agricultural challenges and showcase the country’s progress in agricultural research and policy.
The event will provide young researchers and leading professionals a platform to present their work and network with global peers.
It aims to strengthen the partnership between research institutes and universities, influence policy making at both national and global levels and show India’s agricultural progress including progress in digital agriculture and sustainable agricultural system systems.
