PANAJI
Vice President Dhankar has urged farmers not to remain confined to crop production alone but also pay attention to marketing and selling their produce as well.
Dhankar who was speaking at an event held at the ICAR-Ella campus, said agriculture has made a very big contribution to India's economy, its social system and rural upliftment.
"The path to a developed India passes through the farmer's field, through the village," Dhankar said.
"I would especially request my farmer brothers and sisters not to limit themselves to production. The farmer must be thoroughly involved with marketing of agricultural produce, value addition to what is produced," he said, adding that agriculture produce is the raw material for so many factories but the farmer is just a seller of his produce to them.
He said, a big change will come in the income of the farmer when he or she involves in doing the 'business' of agriculture.
"If the farmer and his children remain within limited boundaries, then the huge pace that could be achieved in the development of India's economy will be reduced," Dhankar said.
He said, the agro-economy is not confined to agro-production alone but all facets of it: production, marketing, value addition.
"The farmer must have a very high share. And what is the need now? Entrepreneurs from the farming community. I call them – Agripreneurs. This country must have millions of Agripreneurs," he added.
The Vice President said there was no need for any training as farmers have this knowledge from birth.
"The most important step is that the government policies are very positive. They can have far reaching results. There should be storage arrangements, loan arrangements and if 'cooperation' is utilised, then a lot can be achieved," Dhankar said.
