National Horticulture Mission will be launched soon: Rajashekaran

National Horticulture Mission will be launched soon: Rajashekaran
The Hindu

DHARWAD: M.V. Rajashekaran, Union Minister of State for Planning, on Sunday said that the National Horticulture Mission would be launched soon.

Inaugurating the 44th All-India Wheat and Barley Research Workers' Meet organised under the auspices of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, and the Directorate of Wheat Research, Karnal, here, Mr. Rajashekaran said that the launch of the mission would reduce the percentage of the horticultural produce going waste.

About 60 per cent of the total production is getting wasted in the country which meant an approximate loss of about Rs. 48,000 crores, he said.

For sustainable development there should be rapid growth in agriculture. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair the meeting on agriculture on September 17.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar would make a presentation on the agricultural scenario, he said

Researchers lauded

Lauding agricultural researchers for their contribution, Mr. Rajashekaran said that through research they were contributing to the development of the nation.

Talking about the contribution of the University of Agricultural Sciences, he felt that the Directorate of Wheat Research should strengthen the Dharwad centre for dicoccum and durum wheat research.

Mr. Rajashekaran said that although some 200 varieties of wheat had been released in India for commercial cultivation since the Green Revolution, there had been no drastic change in the production of wheat.

The nation produced 76 million tonnes of wheat annually. But to achieve the projected demand of 109 million tonnes by 2020, steps should be taken to achieve an annual growth rate of 2.1 per cent, he said.

Speaking about wheat production in the country, B. Mishra, Project Director (Wheat), Directorate of Wheat Research, said that the present growth rate was less than 1 per cent.

In his opening remarks, S.N. Shukla, senior official of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), expressed concern over stagnation in wheat production in the past four years.

M.V. Rao, former Special Director-General of ICAR, and G. Kallo, senior ICAR official, spoke on wheat production and research.

The Union Minister later released some publications relating to wheat and barley research. S.A. Patil, Vice-Chancellor of UAS, presided over the function. S. Lingappa, Director of Research, UAS, welcomed the gathering and gave details of the activities of the university.

R.R. Hanchinal, Special Officer (Seeds), UAS, proposed a vote of thanks.