International Conference of Agricultural Economists -
economy
News: PM
inaugurates the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
Event:
32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE)
Theme: “Transformation
Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems”
What’s
in the news?
Conference
Objectives
- Tackle global challenges like climate
change, natural resource degradation, and rising production costs.
- Strengthen partnerships between
research institutes and universities.
- Influence national and global
agricultural policies.
- Showcase India's advancements in
digital agriculture and sustainable agri-food systems.
The
IAAE is a worldwide professional membership association of agricultural
economists, whose mission is to promote the common business interests of
economists having as a major focus of their work the study of the economics of
agriculture.
Key
Highlights from PM’s Speech
- Significance of Agriculture in India:
- Agriculture
is central to India's economic policies.
- India
has more than 500 million livestock.
- 90%
of Indian farmers are small landholders.
- Historical Context:
- ICAE
is being held in India after 65 years.
- Last
held in India when the country was newly independent.
- Agricultural Achievements of India:
- India
is a food surplus country.
- Largest
producer of milk, pulses, and spices.
- Second
largest producer of food grain, fruits, vegetables, cotton, sugar, tea,
and farmed fish.
- Agricultural Research and Education:
- Over
100 research institutes under ICAR.
- More
than 500 agricultural colleges and 700 Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
- Emphasis
on climate-resilient farming and natural farming.
- Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives:
- Promotion
of chemical-free natural farming.
- Development
of climate-resilient crop varieties (e.g., water-efficient rice, black
rice).
- Focus
on sustainable and climate-resilient farming.
- Technological Integration in
Agriculture:
- Initiatives
like Soil Health Card, solar farming, e-NAM, Kisan Credit Card, PM Fasal
Bima Yojana.
- Digital
public infrastructure for real-time crop surveys.
- Digitisation
of land records with digital identification numbers.
- Promotion
of drones in agriculture (e.g., training 'drone didis').
- Global Contributions and Vision:
- India's
experience is valuable for global discussions on food system
transformation.
- India's
vision for global welfare through initiatives like ‘One Earth, One Family
and One Future,’ ‘Mission LiFE,’ and ‘One Earth One Health.’
- Nutrition and Food Security:
- Focus
on millets (Shri Anna) as a solution to nutrition challenges.
- India's
willingness to share its millet basket with the world.
- Environmental and Economic Impact:
- Increase
in land under micro-irrigation (ninety lakh hectares in the last 10
years).
- Goal
of 20% ethanol blending to benefit agriculture and the environment.
Source:
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2041076