Improve technology for 4% farm growth: Agri Secy

NEW DELHI: India needs to focus on improving farm technology and creating an efficient water management system to achieve the targetted four per cent growth in the agriculture sector, a top agriculture Ministry official said on Tuesday.

"If agriculture has to grow at four per cent, the focus will have to be on technology infusion, farm mechanisation, reforms and efficient water management," Agriculture Secretary PK Basu said at a CII function in New Delhi.

Stating that the climate change would have a major impact on the health of the farm sector, Basu said that the water management would thus be critical to the country's long-term food security.

The agriculture sector, which contributes around 17 per cent to the country's total economy, recorded the lowest growth in five years, at 0.2 per cent, in the last fiscal due to widespread drought in 2009.

Agriculture and its allied sectors grew at 1.6 per cent in 2008-09.

The country was not able to achieve the targeted 4 per cent growth in the farm sector in the 10th five-year plan and it seems unlikely even in the current plan period ending 2012.

The four per cent growth in agriculture is critical if the country's economy has to grow by nine per cent.

India is estimated to have produced 218.2 million tonnes of foodgrains in the last crop year against a record 234.47 million tonnes in the previous year.