The 3-day meeting of the Agriculture Ministers under the Agriculture Working Group (AWG) of the G20 began today in Hyderabad. More than 200 delegates from member countries, invited countries and international organizations are participating in the meeting.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar in a press conference said that agriculture priority sectors are being discussed in the meeting. These areas form the basis of this year’s Agriculture Working Group. Tomar said that India has full commitment towards food security and nutrition under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, policies have been made accordingly and its successful implementation is also being ensured.
Union Minister Tomar said that this time the chairmanship of G-20 is the responsibility of India under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under this, the Agriculture Working Group meeting is being organized in Hyderabad during 15-17 June 2023.
Tomar said that the priority areas of the Agriculture Working Group are-(a) Food security and nutrition with a focus on improving social protection systems to promote agro-diversification and enhance food security. (b) second, sustainable agriculture and financing green and climate resilient agriculture with a climate smart approach focused on climate resilient technologies and farming system models for sustainable agricultural production.(c) Third, strengthening infrastructure for small and marginal farmers, women and youth, sharing technology and investment and through increasing economic opportunities inclusive agricultural value chains and food systems to enhance the resilience and efficiency of value chains (d) Fourth, digitalization for agricultural transformation with emphasis on standardized agricultural data platforms as digital public goods and leveraging new-emerging digital technologies to transform the agri-food sector. These are being discussed in different sessions of the meeting.
Tomar said that India is very prosperous and powerful in the agriculture sector and shares its knowledge and experience in the global interest of the agriculture sector, for which we will be ready in the future as well. He said that in the last nine years, many new dimensions have been established in the agriculture sector in the country, through which the welfare of medium to small farmers is the main objective. In view of climate change and environment, decisions have been taken in the interest of the agriculture sector. In this direction, on the initiative of India, the International Year of Millets (Shri Anna) declared by the United Nations is being celebrated in the country and the world.
Along with this, India is also bringing awareness among farmers regarding crop diversification. Climate-suitable varieties have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. India is ready for the progress of farmers and agriculture sector through the promotion of organic and natural farming and sustainable agriculture system. Groups such as the G-20 have great utility, including building a common strategy to address agricultural challenges.
Tomar said that effective policies have been implemented in the agriculture sector, pioneering programs have been implemented, practical and sustainable solutions have been implemented for our food systems. These efforts emphasize the importance of digital agriculture ecosystem by emphasizing on the critical role of government and stakeholders in adopting and promoting digital solutions to enhance our agriculture landscape. He told that India ranks first or second in the world in terms of many agricultural products. Also, the export of agricultural products from India is increasing continuously, which is definitely benefiting the farmers. He expressed confidence that the discussions in the meeting will be in the spirit of ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’, with the participation of ministers from various countries, showcasing the transformative power of collective action.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Kailash Chowdhary, Shobha Karandlaje and Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja were also present in the press conference.
The first day of the three-day G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting began with the inauguration of an exhibition by Minister of State, MoA&FW, Kailash Choudhary. The exhibitors displayed their achievements in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.
The exhibition included 71 stalls in the fields of Waste to Wealth management, post-harvest, smart & precision agriculture, Agri innovations, value chain management etc. Of the 71 stalls, 15 stalls were exhibited by ICAR institutes to showcase the recent advancements made by their research institutions /organizations, 07 stalls were exhibited by other Ministries, 09 stalls were put up by private companies and 33 stalls were given to Agri start-ups to provide them an opportunity to showcase their activities, achievements, and advancements and the remaining 07 stalls have been allotted to Government of Telangana for showcasing their recent achievements.
Post the inauguration of the exhibition, the day was dedicated to the Agriculture Deputies Meeting with the delegations from member countries, invited countries and international organizations, followed by side events in the form of panel discussion.
The first side event was based on ‘Managing Agribusiness for Profit, People and Planet.’ The keynote address was presented by the Director General, IFPRI, Dr. Johan Swinnen. The discussion was moderated by Former Secretary, DA&FW, Dr. Shobhana Kumar Pattnayak. The session’s panellists were from various private companies which are involved in building robust supply chain systems. The panel discussion focused on bringing out concrete examples on managing trade-offs between profit, people, and planet. They also discussed ways to identify solutions, policies, and programs to achieve greater sustainability for food systems at large. The event was followed by Question & Answer session with the audience.
The second side event revolved around the topic ‘Connecting the Digitally Disconnected: Harnessing the Power of Digital Technologies in Agriculture.’ The event was initiated by the Under Secretary, Agriculture for Rural Development, USDA, and event Chair, Xochitl Torres Small and the keynote presentation was made by the Director General, ADB (Asian Development Bank), Kenichi Yokoyam. The discussion was moderated by Chairman, Centre for the Digital Future, Rentala Chandrashekhar. The session constituted panellists from various Agri Tech companies, start-ups, and international organizations. The panel discussion was focussed on exploring strategies for scaling-up and replicating the best practices of digital agriculture initiatives and on discussing the nature of interventions made by the government and stakeholders in promoting, supporting the bridging the gap for digitally disconnected population.
