ICAR, agri universities prepare strategy for doubling farmers' income

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and agri universities, along with central and state agencies, have developed strategy document on doubling farmers' income by 2022, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today.
This strategy document for different states would immensely help in achieving the prosperity of farmers, he added.
The minister was addressing vice chancellors of state agriculture universities and directors of ICAR institutes here.
Singh said the government's policy initiatives in the last three years have led to record foodgrain production this year.
The minister said the total food grain production in the country stood at 275.68 million tonnes in 2017-18, which is about 10.64 million tonnes (or 4 per cent) more than what was produced in 2013-14.

"In fact, the production of foodgrain this year is 19 million tonnes more than the average production between 2011-12 and 2015-16," Singh was quoted as saying in an official statement.

The minister said state agriculture universities and ICAR have been working to make agriculture sustainable and beneficial for farmers.
Singh informed that there are about 138 million landholders in the country, out of which about 85 per cent of the farmers are marginal or small. He asserted that this vulnerable class of farmers is in an urgent need of farming techniques and information.
ICAR has developed 45 Integrated Farming System (IFS) models to help small and marginal farmers to tide over the problems associated with climate change. This model is being replicated and taken forward through KVKs (Krishi Vigyan Kendras) spread across the country.