By IANS
New Delhi : Tardy farm growth is a matter of grave concern and urgent steps are needed to remove the "technology fatigue" in India's agrarian economy on which 70 percent of the population depends, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Tuesday.
Addressing the 53rd meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) here, he also proposed a new food security scheme that will help the country increase the production of wheat, lentils and edible oils.
"One feature that stands out is the lack of any breakthroughs in agricultural production technology in recent years. There is a technology fatigue which we need to address," he said.
Unless the farm sector grows at desired levels, the 10-percent economic growth targeted for the 11th plan (2007-08 to 2012-13) would remain elusive, he told the meeting, attended by chief ministers of states and union territories as well as his senior cabinet colleagues.
He said steps should also be taken to make farming a viable proposition, adding that the same cannot be achieved unless there is a shift away from small and marginal farming.
The prime minister said state governments also needed to specifically focus on reducing what he called was a yield-gap in farm output since there still existed the potential to increase productivity by 40-100 percent.
"Bridging these gaps requires localised and state-specific strategies based on local agro-climatic conditions and constraints," he said, adding this issue was all the more important since the scope for expanding crop area was limited.
The prime minister said the mantra for his government was inclusive growth and to ensure that growth benefits all sections of the society and helps in reducing rural distress and poverty.
The meeting of NDC was specifically called to address issues concerning the Indian farm and allied sectors. It comes after a similar meeting of the Planning Commission Manmohan Singh chaired earlier this month.