Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the 3rd Global Potato Conclave at Gandhinagar, Gujarat through Video Conferencing.
While addressing the Conclave, the Prime Minister mentioned that earlier this month, a new record has also been created by transferring an amount of Rs. 12,000 crores to the bank accounts of 6 crore farmers through direct transfer. He also mentioned that the priority of his Government is to reduce middlemen and other layers between the farmer and the consumer.
PM Modi said that the government’s emphasis is also on promoting agricultural technology-based start ups so that farmers’ databases and agri stacks needed for smart and precision agriculture can be used.
The Prime Minister said that it is significant that the 3rd Global Potato Conclave is being held in Gujarat, the leading state in Potato production and productivity in the country. He said that while the area under potato cultivation increased by about 20% in India in the last eleven years, it has increased by about 170% in Gujarat during the same period.
The Prime Minister urged the scientists to provide solutions to various issues in Agriculture through modern biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, Block chain, Drone Technology. He said that the greatest responsibility of the scientific community and policy makers is to see that no one is left hungry or malnourished.
