PM Modi calls for deliberations at G20 agri ministers conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the agriculture sector was facing several challenges worldwide, calling on the G20 agriculture ministers to discuss how to take joint action to achieve global food security.

In a video message to the three-day meeting being held in Hyderabad, Modi said climate change is causing extreme weather events more frequently and the global South is feeling the challenges the most.

“Globally, agriculture supports more than 2.5 billion people. In the Global South, agriculture accounts for almost 30 percent of GDP and more than 60 percent of jobs, and today the sector faces several challenges. Supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic have been exacerbated by geopolitical tensions,” the Prime Minister said.

"Climate change is causing more and more extreme weather events. These challenges are felt most in the Global South,” Modi added.

He said India's policy is a combination of "back to basics and march to the future", even as the country promotes natural agriculture as well as technology-based agriculture.

Modi said farmers across the country are practicing natural farming by not using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides with a focus on rejuvenating mother earth.