India urges South Asian countries to jointly combat climate change

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New Delhi, March 5:: India called upon her neighbours in South Asia to jointly tackle the challenges posed by climate change and bio-fuel programme which may have far reaching implications for agriculture.

Inaugurating the three-day South Asian science-based agricultural transformation organized by the Iffco Foundation in collaboration with government agencies on Wednesday, the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said, "the threats posed by climate change and impact of the pursuit of bio-fuels may have far reaching implications for agriculture policy. Our research has to respond to these demands in expeditious and efficient manner."

He said that with agriculture becoming complex today we need science and technology interventions at a much larger scale at all stages of the agricultural chain. The urgency of enhancing farm productivity, bridging yield gaps and strengthening regional agricultural research, extension and farmer linkages can hardly be overemphasized, he said and added that investments and regional cooperation in R&D must, therefore, be at top of the policy agenda of South Asian countries.

"It is well accepted that investments in R&D pay off handsomely with appreciably high internal rate of return. Given the agro-climatic advantages and availability of manpower, there is potential to turn agriculture in the SAARC (South Asian) region into a dynamic sector with rapid technological accelerating growth and reducing poverty, he said. He also called for better synergy in R&D efforts and said that India was ready to extend cooperation through her excellent network of research institutions.

Pawar noted that South Asian countries had witnessed dramatic improvements in food availability and poverty alleviation at national levels, particularly following Green Revolution.

"But Green Revolution seems to have run its course in the region. The total factor productivity growth rates have decelerated. Non-availability of quality and cost-effective inputs, low efficiency of use of inputs and fast deteriorating soil health, water resources and biodiversity are the critical concerns for agriculture in the region. The conventional extension system has become outmoded."

Pointing out that the intra-regional trade in South Asia was low at 0.8% of GDP as compared to 27% in East Asia, he called for strengthening the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA). However he said, "Looking at the micro picture from the viewpoint of smaller countries, bilateral trade is still significantly large and rising."