Agro profession would be made commercial, dignified: President Bhandari

President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said the agriculture profession should be systematic, commercial and dignified. She urged the bodies concerned to fulfil the goal of developing agriculture as an industry by increasing productivity.

At an interaction organised at Sheetal Niwas on Wednesday on the occasion of National Paddy Day, President Bhandari mentioned that on one hand there is a challenge before us to reduce the trade deficit of the country due to the increasing import of foodstuffs while on other hand there is a responsibility to ensure food security, nutrient-rich food and healthy life for all the citizens of the country.

"We can face this challenge only from the hard work of the farmers. It is relevant to hold a meaningful discussion on the issue of country's overall agro system, the situation of food security, increase in productivity, profession-based on agriculture and resolving problems of farmers", she opined.

The President also expressed the view that maize, wheat, millet as well as indigenous crops could be promoted by diversifying the crops to reduce our dependence on paddy and rice. She stressed that the government should take initiatives to construct basic infrastructures like roads to take agro-products up to markets, irrigation facilities and agro machinery.

President Bhandari laid emphasis on the need of establishing and operation of agro-industries based on tea, cardamom, ginger, cotton, and sugarcane farming as farmers can get the economic benefit immediately from this cultivation, adding the three-tier of government should play the role to utilize all the barren land.

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mahindra Ray Yadav, officers of agriculture-related bodies, agro experts and office-bearers of Madan Bhandari Foundation were present on the occasion.