Pawar asks states to maximise foodgrain production

Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar has appealed to the states to make the best use of the initiatives of recent years not only to ensure food security but also not to turn India into an exporter of food and agricultural produce.

Pawar called for better use of water, ensuring availability of quality seed and fertilizers, improving marketing infrastructure, introducing market reforms and disseminating new technology through the extension network.

The minister said food grain production in 2007-08 had reached a record 227.32 million tonne and record production has been achieved in a number of crops. He expressed hope that given a normal monsoon as forecast by the IMD, the production of food grains would see further rise in the coming Kharif season.

He was speaking at the Conference of State Agriculture and Agricultural Marketing Ministers on Wednesday.