The Hindu Business Line : Call for new wheat varieties to meet specific demand

"CHANGES in the crop enterprise occur simultaneously in five sectors, namely technology; institutions; agrarian structure; crop constellation; and trade and market. The transition from self-sufficiency to trade-oriented outlook would become an important step in the crop enterprise and foodgrains sector should enable the farmer to get ready for such a change," said Ms Radha Singh, Union Agriculture Secretary.

She was addressing a seminar-cum-workshop on Wheat Quality Revolution in India organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with FAO and SIDA, the Swedish international development cooperation agency in the Capital recently.

Some issues requiring immediate attention included development of product-specific varieties, identification of product-specific areas, development and identification of nutritionally rich varieties, quality evaluation of wheat as also its classification and grading, she pointed out.

Upgradation of facilities in the laboratories and grain mandis, segregated procurement and contract farming are other important issues that needed to be addressed on priority basis, Ms Singh added.

Delivering the keynote address, well-known farm scientist Dr. M. S. Swaminathan pointed out to the mismatch or lack of harmony between production technology and post-harvest technology in most crops as a result of which the benefit of production was not being reaped adequately.

He stressed on the need to develop wheat varieties based on market demand.

Other eminent speakers included representative of FAO in India Mr Daniel Gustafson and Dr S. Nagarajan, Director of Indian Agricultural Research Institute.