Pitching for adoption of modern farm technologies for better yields, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Friday said the government should not get carried away by the ?misplaced apprehensions? against scientifically proven developments such as genetically modified (GM) crops.
Pawar emphasised that farm output could only be increased by raising crop yields of the existing cultivable area.
?In this background, I am of the firm opinion that we must adopt the modern scientific solutions which are based on sound and proven practices. We also cannot afford to curtail the vigour of our scientific community if they are conducting research with all the precautions.
?We should not get carried away by the misplaced apprehensions against scientifically proven developments such as GM crops,? he said at an event in the Capital.
His views on GM crops come in the wake of a parliamentary panel recommending a ban on field trials of GM crops. A moratorium has been imposed on commercial release of Bt brinjal.
At present, Bt cotton is allowed for commercial cultivation but not food crops. However, some states have permitted fields trials in corn and mustard seed.
Pawar said the country needs to ensure sustainable agriculture growth with limited availability of natural resources, including land.
He also pointed out that farm productivity in India is lower as compared with the global benchmark. On top of that, he said as much as 30% of production is lost due to pest and diseases, which is ?unacceptable by any standard?.
?Weather forecasting, marketing linkages, post-harvest and storage facilities, insurance coverage, delivery of know-how and services are still at a lower stage when compared with other emerging economies,? Pawar said, underscoring that there is huge potential in the farm sector to be tapped.
Speaking at the conference, minister of state for fertilisers Srikant Kumar Jena suggested that farm productivity could be raised through time-bound government programmes in the fields of irrigation, soil health management, better seeds, use of IT and balanced fertilisers. He emphasised on creating infrastructure such as storage units, cold chain and marketing facilities.