Coimbatore, Dec. 6
Ecology and economy would decide the future of agriculture in India taking into consideration various challenges the farming community is facing, N.K. Krishnakumar, Chairman of the International Bioversity Authority, New Delhi, observed here today.
Speaking at the three-day National Conference -- ‘New Vistas in Vegetable Research towards Nutritional Security under Changing Climate Scenario -- , at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Mr. Krishnakumar, said that farmers who look for profitable agriculture should also make sure that they retain the balance of the ecosystem by not polluting the soil.
“Economy and ecology go hand in hand in farming. While making a compromise on economy would be disastrous for the farmer, compromising with ecology by adding pesticides would be disastrous for the future generation,” he warned.
Pointing out that use of pesticides was one of the claims of foreign countries to prevent imports of vegetables from India, Mr. Krishnakumar also added that a proper data should be developed to assess the quality of soil and water. “This Agriculture Biodiversity Index will give us an indication to understand the future of farming, which depends on both,” he opined.
He called for more awareness in nutrition level so that the consumption of vegetables becomes common among Indians. “We are failing to add more important vegetables to the diet other than potatoes, tomatoes and onions. This has reduced the nutrition intake by and large,” he added.
Talking about the rise in consumption of pulses and small grains recently, he said that an average Indian had been consuming only 35 grams of protein because of the lack of pulses and vegetables in their diet.
Dr K. Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor of TNAU, called for an integration of various departments in order to compete with global competitors. “We have competition from countries like Australia, for crops like Moringa and Mango. Unless we pool in knowledge from all corners and link the expertise, we may not be able to compete in the market,” he pointed out.
As many as 18 publications were released during the inauguration of the conference that was organised by TNAU, which had 300 participants.
Ecology and economy would decide the future of agriculture in India taking into consideration various challenges the farming community is facing, N.K. Krishnakumar, Chairman of the International Bioversity Authority, New Delhi, observed here today.
Speaking at the three-day National Conference -- ‘New Vistas in Vegetable Research towards Nutritional Security under Changing Climate Scenario -- , at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Mr. Krishnakumar, said that farmers who look for profitable agriculture should also make sure that they retain the balance of the ecosystem by not polluting the soil.
“Economy and ecology go hand in hand in farming. While making a compromise on economy would be disastrous for the farmer, compromising with ecology by adding pesticides would be disastrous for the future generation,” he warned.
Pointing out that use of pesticides was one of the claims of foreign countries to prevent imports of vegetables from India, Mr. Krishnakumar also added that a proper data should be developed to assess the quality of soil and water. “This Agriculture Biodiversity Index will give us an indication to understand the future of farming, which depends on both,” he opined.
He called for more awareness in nutrition level so that the consumption of vegetables becomes common among Indians. “We are failing to add more important vegetables to the diet other than potatoes, tomatoes and onions. This has reduced the nutrition intake by and large,” he added.
Talking about the rise in consumption of pulses and small grains recently, he said that an average Indian had been consuming only 35 grams of protein because of the lack of pulses and vegetables in their diet.
Dr K. Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor of TNAU, called for an integration of various departments in order to compete with global competitors. “We have competition from countries like Australia, for crops like Moringa and Mango. Unless we pool in knowledge from all corners and link the expertise, we may not be able to compete in the market,” he pointed out.
As many as 18 publications were released during the inauguration of the conference that was organised by TNAU, which had 300 participants.