Hyderabad, June 9 (IANS) Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday laid the foundation stone for the Global Centre of Excellence on Millets at ICAR – Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) in Hyderabad.

In his remarks on the occasion, he said that this Centre of Excellence would guide the world with its research.

The facility will bolster ongoing research efforts at the IIMR by establishing world-class facilities, including research laboratories, skill development centres and outreach hubs.

The Centre last sanctioned Rs 250 crore to establish the Centre, which is part of PM Shree Anna Yojana (millets) that encourages the production and consumption of millets to achieve food and nutritional security for a healthy India.

The foundation stone was laid amid the Viksit Krisi Sankalp Abhiyan programme.

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary, Telangana’s Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao and state and Central government officials, agriculture scientists and farmers attended the programme.

Chouhan said that the Central government is giving top priority to agriculture and farmers’ welfare, as there can be no Viksit Bharat without Viksit agriculture.

He pointed out that agriculture contributes 18 per cent to the national GDP and provides a livelihood to half of the population. This year, the agriculture sector recorded a growth rate of 5.4 per cent with record production of rice, wheat and maize.

The Agriculture Minister stated that the government is taking steps to ensure food security, enhance farmers’ income, ensure nutritious food and soil conservation for coming generations.

He said the ministry had embarked on a programme to connect lab and land so that the research conducted in labs is used in the fields for Viksit Krishi.

He revealed that out of 16,000 agriculture scientists in the country, a team of 2,170 scientists has been constituted, which will go to farmers, interact with them and suggest solutions to their problems depending on agro-climatic conditions in their respective regions.

Chouhan said the Centre and states would work together to achieve the targets.

Telangana’s Agriculture Minister Nageswara Rao urged the Union Minister to establish a regional office of the Coconut Development Board in Telangana.

He also sought the help from the Centre to boost oil palm production.

–IANS

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