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Even as the Centre is mulling over allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the retail sector, Union Agriculture and Food Processing Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday categorically ruled out the possibility of FDI in farming.
“FDI in agriculture is not required. We have about 82-86 per cent farmers whose land-holding is below two hectares. In this type of a situation where the land-holding is small, we should not think of encouraging FDI in the agriculture sector,” Mr. Pawar told journalists after inaugurating the annual general meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society, of which he is the president.
Mr. Pawar asserted that FDI in the agriculture sector was not welcome. “I can understand FDI in agro-processing. We will welcome FDI in cold chains and in agro-processing, but not in farming.”
Earlier, addressing the ICAR meeting, which included State Agriculture Ministers, Mr. Pawar said the challenges of food production, malnutrition, poverty, population growth, and environment were more acute in present times. The national agriculture research system, through its cutting-edge technologies and human resource, gave confidence to the nation to meet these challenges.
Addressing farm scientists, Human Resource Development and IT Minister Kapil Sibal emphasised the need for the synergy of the ICAR, science and technology, and biotechnology with the university system to meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population. For this, he urged Mr. Pawar to convene a conference of vice-chancellors of universities with the ICAR.
“FDI in agriculture is not required. We have about 82-86 per cent farmers whose land-holding is below two hectares. In this type of a situation where the land-holding is small, we should not think of encouraging FDI in the agriculture sector,” Mr. Pawar told journalists after inaugurating the annual general meeting of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Society, of which he is the president.
Mr. Pawar asserted that FDI in the agriculture sector was not welcome. “I can understand FDI in agro-processing. We will welcome FDI in cold chains and in agro-processing, but not in farming.”
Earlier, addressing the ICAR meeting, which included State Agriculture Ministers, Mr. Pawar said the challenges of food production, malnutrition, poverty, population growth, and environment were more acute in present times. The national agriculture research system, through its cutting-edge technologies and human resource, gave confidence to the nation to meet these challenges.
Addressing farm scientists, Human Resource Development and IT Minister Kapil Sibal emphasised the need for the synergy of the ICAR, science and technology, and biotechnology with the university system to meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population. For this, he urged Mr. Pawar to convene a conference of vice-chancellors of universities with the ICAR.