Mir inaugurates 3 day All India Rice Workers Group meeting

            

SRINAGAR, APRIL 14: Minister for Agriculture, Mr. Ghulam Hassan Mir Sunday inaugurated the 3 day 48^th All India Annual Rice Workers Group meeting at SKICC Srinagar. In all 248 delegates from various parts of India participated in the meeting, held for the first time in the valley. The meeting was jointly organized by SKUAST, Kashmir and Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad.Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi was also present on the occasion besides DG ICAR, Dr. Swapan Kumar Dutta, VC SKUAST Kashmir Dr. Tej Pratap.Speaking on the occasion, the Minister while welcoming delegates said that the primary challenge for researchers is to make significant contributions which would include keeping rice affordable, slash poverty, reduce malnutrition, cut climate change impacts and ‘greener’ rice by reducing the water and environmental footprint of rice production. Mr. Mir said Rice is the world’s most important food crop consumed by more than half of the world’s population. He said the crop will become increasingly important in the next century because of wide amplitude of its adaptation. He said more than 90 percent of the earth’s rice is grown and consumed in Asia where 60 percent of the world population lives.Agriculture Minister said that rice is the principal crop cultivated in Kashmir valley, adding that it is grown on about 1.5 lakh hectares which comprise almost 50 percent of total area under different crops cultivation in the region.Mr. Mir informed that the population of rice has gone up to 5.28 lakh tons which sustains the demand to the extended of 60 percent, necessitating the significant imports from outside the valley. The Minister emphasized on all stake holders to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of food grains. He said that the popularization of Rice-Wheat cropping system should be the focus of the scientists and development agencies