'Condition of ryots not improved'

Member, Board of Regents, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Attihalli Devaraj on Monday regretted that the condition of farmers has not improved despite the country achieved self sufficiency in food production. Need of the hour was to give priority for value added products of agricultural produce.

He was speaking at a function at Agriculture College here organised jointly by Indian Institute of Crop Technology Centre, Tamil Nadu and National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management Centre, Haryana, here.

Devaraj said farmers had protested three years ago demanding the government to fix ` eight per coconut. While the prices of all the agricultural produces have increased, the price of coconut has remained same. The reason for this has been that no value added products are obtained from it.

The price of coconut would have definitely increased if they marketed the milk extracted from the coconut or other products from it. Farmers and the agricultural scientists were responsible for the country to become self sufficient in food production.

But as they failed to concentrate towards value added products of agriculture produces the condition of farmers has not improved, he added.

Dean, Agriculture College, Dr M A Shankar said the farmers were not having details regarding food processing technology of the agricultural products because of which they have not been able to make much progress in its value added products.

 The current younger generation should know about that technology and work towards the value added products. The future is always bright for the food industry and those who indulge in this business would earn more than engineers and doctors. The agriculture field has made remarkable contribution in the increase of internal production in the country.

The agriculture field plays an important role in the increasing GDP level. Students who come from rural background having knowledge of agriculture should ensure that the technology reaches farmers.

Scientist, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Dr B Ranganna said in other countries, nearly 70 per cent of the budget is reserved for the food processing industry. But this was not happening in India.

 The agriculture produce of farmers should be protected and exported as it would fetch good income for farmers. There was plenty of job opportunities in the field of agriculture and the post graduate students have to grab them.The university is ready sponsor foreign trips of the students who wish to undertake research activities and this benefit should be utilised by them. Head, Department of Food Sciences, C Ramakumar and D V Chidanand also spoke.

On this occasion, Dr B Ranganna, Dr V Palanimuttu, Dr K S Premavalli, Dr H V Narasimha and Dr T R Prabhu and other  agriculture scientists, delivered special lectures.