The South Asian agriculture ministers are slated to meet in Delhi early next month to discuss the problems facing the region’s farm sector and farmer.
On the agenda for discussions are issues for formulating a common Regional Agriculture Perspective and Vision-2020, setting up of a milk grid, use of bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides with a view to check the growing menace of toxicity in food, as well as preserving soil health. The conclave will also discuss the need for boosting production and productivity of orphan food grain crops like pulses and coarse cereals. The vision document is likely to aim at securing distributional challenges in the farm sector and securing opportunity for value-added products
Speaking with FE, the SAARC secretary general, Sheel Kant Sharma said, “The last SAARC Summit adopted the regional strategy and programme and also, to take the process forward, 10 priority projects have been identified to respond to the critical challenges facing the region. All these are reflective of the concerns at the grassroots, afflicting lives and livelihood of millions of our farmers like arresting soil degradation, food safety, post- and pre-harvest management of farm produces.”
The SAARC farm ministers would discuss the need to ensure nutritional security and boosting livestock, fishery and horticulture sectors. The South Asian ministers would discuss the challenges posed by new and emerging pests and diseases on crops and the incidences of avian flu in poultry and other animal diseases.
“Of great importance therefore is not to consider the entire question of food security merely as a function of external fluctuation in prices. There remains a complex interplay of a large number of factors, which quite often are fuelled by speculation,” the SAARC secretary general said.