Telangana will have to weather out erratic distribution of rainfall, degrading soil health and dwindling fresh water availability to attain the six percent growth rate which its economy needs, Director-General of Indian Council of Agriculture Research Trilochan Mohapatra said here on Wednesday.
He was addressing the first convocation ceremony of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University.
Across the country, low soil organic matter and imbalanced use of fertilizers are affecting crop productivity, he added. Enhancing water use efficiency in agriculture is a must, he said, adding that 60% of agriculture in the state is dependent on rain-fed farming system. “About 40 percent of the net sown area is irrigated and more than 75% of the net irrigated area is through wells,” he pointed out.
Mr. Mohapatra, however, supported Mission Kakatiya, the State government’s irrigation project.
Creating employment opportunities in the non-farm, manufacturing sectors especially in agro-based rural industries is important, he stressed. “Over half of India’s total population is under the age of 29. Of them, over 60% live in villages. Migration of youth from villages to towns and cities is the most serious form of brain drain, which leads to regional imbalances and adversely affects rural India’s development. We need to harness their energy and enthusiasm for betterment of society,” he said.
Mr. Mohapatra also said that the upcoming Higher Agricultural Education (NAHEP) Project, to be funded by the World Bank and aimed at improving relevance of higher education in agriculture, should be seen as an opportunity to attract more talented students, competent faculty and innovative researchers into the field of agriculture.
Speaking at the meeting, PJTSAU Vice Chancellor, V. Praveen Rao said the university, “has made efforts to make itself visible, both in the State and the country through its teaching, research and extension wings.”
A total of 319 M.Sc and Ph.D students of PJTSAU received their degrees on Wednesday, along with 790 undergraduate students. Seventeen gold medals were presented, out of which M. Sravani, a graduate of B Tech agriculture engineering, bagged five.
