Friday, July 7, 2006, Chandigarh, India

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060707/cth1.htm

Need to develop post-harvest technologies for food crops: minister
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, July 6
The Haryana Agriculture Minister, Mr H.S. Chatha, has stressed the need to develop post-harvest technologies for vegetables, fruits, food crops. The focus should also be on loss reduction, value addition and employment generation, he said. He also suggested that the soil of every field should be tested so as to take corrective measures, if required.

Mr Chatha was speaking after inaugurating a discussion on the draft National Policy for Farmers: primary sector growth interest of Haryana. The discussion was organised jointly by the Haryana Institute of Public Administration, the Haryana Agriculture Department and allied sectors here today.

Mr Chatha was all praise for the National Commission on Farmers, which, under the chairmanship of Dr M.S. Swaminathan, had formulated a draft national policy for farmers. He hoped the final policy would go a long way in addressing various problems in the farming sector.

It would also play a crucial role in revitalising our farming system by making agrarian prosperity the bottom line of investment and agricultural and rural development policies.

He said today’s consultation on the draft policy was a precursor to the state-level consultation to be held with the National Commission on Farmers on August 25.

He also stressed the need for developing technological interventions for the rainfed areas. The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Ms Asha Sharma, emphasised on assisting the farmers to diversify to other crops.

The Director, Agriculture, Mr R.K. Khullar, said a special campaign had been launched to test soil content of panchayat lands in the state and each panchayat would be issued a soil health card.