Union Agri Minister Radha Mohan asks ICAR to work for second green revolution

PATNA: Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh today asked the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) to step up its activities in the eastern region to bring the "second green revolution" in the country.

Addressing the steering committee meeting of the Second Green Revolution (SGR) at ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, he said ICAR should work out coordination and convergence of different agricultural activities being implemented by the Centre to expedite agricultural development in the region.

Noting that the eastern region has potential to increase production of milk, meat, pulses and oilseeds through overall development of the agriculture and allied sectors, he said that the states in this region were producing only 50 per cent rice, 45 per cent vegetables and 38 per cent fish respectively of the total production of the country.

Singh also drew the attention of the agriculture scientists towards adverse effect of the climate change on the agriculture production and asked them to mitigate the problem by developing smart technologies for plantation of short duration crops among other measures.

There is also a need to rehabilitate the waterlogged areas in the region which accounts for 41 lakh hectare through integrated farming system approach, he said.

Singh said state coordination, technical coordination and steering committees had been formed to discuss policy, investment, convergence and related issues for successful implementation of the second green revolution.