Farmers are in distress, need for introspection: Vice-President Dhankhar

Mumbai: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said farmers are in trouble and suffering despite presence of premier institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

He asserted that farmers are in distress and resorting to agitations, and this situation does not augur well for overall well-being of the country.

"There is a need for introspection because farmers are in trouble and suffering. If such institutes (like ICAR and its affiliates) were alive, and making contributions then this wouldn't be the situation...Such institutions are located in every nook and corner of the country, but the conditions of farmers are still the same," Dhankhar noted.

The Vice-President was speaking at centenary celebrations of the Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (CIRCOT). The Mumbai-based CIRCOT is one of the premier constituent institutes of the ICAR under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Union Ministry of Agriculture.

He said India is going to become the world's third largest economy soon from the fifth now, but to get the status of a developed nation, every citizen's income will have to increase by eight times, majority of which will come from rural areas.

Today, farmers are resorting to agitations, the Vice-President said, adding "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given message to the world that solutions can only come through dialogue".

The Vice-President urged the institutes active in the field of agriculture research to work towards encouraging farmers to add value to their products to boost their income.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said India cannot become a rich country without its cultivators.

"A glorious, prosperous, rich India cannot be built without farmers. Even today, agriculture is the backbone of India's economy and farmers are its soul," he noted.

The minister said CIRCOT is the only institute in the country which is working for processing of mechanically picked cotton.

"There is a need to adapt the plant and machinery for processing of mechanically harvested cotton. For this, a pilot plant facility will be arranged here (Mumbai). Necessary arrangements will be made to see how it can become an international centre for cotton genome," Chouhan said.

Further, he emphasised that it is very important to develop a traceability system in cotton.

"All necessary facilities will be made available here to develop new traceability technology for export of Indian cotton and this effort is also for farmers," the minister added.

Chouhan pointed out that cotton seeds are very expensive and private companies them to farmers at a very high price.

"The ICAR should try to ensure that farmers get quality seeds at low prices. Pay attention to farmers as well so that they get benefits from cotton farming and earn their livelihood," he stated.

Chouhan said there is a need to make a roadmap for the CIRCOT till 2047.

"I need a roadmap of what we will do till 2047. We should work fast on it so that we can do the work related to cotton production, dealing, processing, plaiting etc. The CIRCOT should be at the top by 2047 at any cost," he insisted.