The Hindu Business Line : Eighth agri science congress begins today

At the meet
Over 250 leaders of Panchayat institutions and farmers expected to take part.
Technology-society interface, resource management for evergreen revolution and nutritional security to be discussed.
Agricultural exhibition on agri businesses part of events.

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Coimbatore Feb. 14 The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)is organising the eighth edition of the Agricultural Science Congress at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) here between February 15-17, 2007. It is also holding a meeting of the members of the village, block and district level Panchayat Raj institutions as part of the programmes.

NAAS is also widening the forum of the Congress by holding for the first time a Youth Agricultural Science Congress on the forenoon of February 15.

The idea of staging the youth congress is, according to Dr C. Ramasamy, Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), who will preside over the session, to sensitise the youth on modern and future technologies/services for the farm sector and rural prosperity.

Briefing newspersons on the proceedings of the Congress, Dr Ramasamy and Dr R.K. Singh, Secretary, NAAS, said the Congress will be inaugurated by the Tamil Nadu Governor Mr Surjit Singh Barnala on February 15 and attended by eminent farm scientists, farm science students, representatives from government, credit institutions, commodity boards, self-help groups, agro industries and NGOs.

The Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Mr Subodh Kant Sahai, Tamil Nadu Ministers Mr Veerapandi Arumugam and Mr Pongalur N. Palanisamy and Dr M.S. Swaminathan, President of NAAS, will also take part in the inauguration. NAAS has a membership of over 440 fellows including 44 foreign fellows.

The theme of this year's Agri Science Congress is `Science for food, livelihood security and rural prosperity'. Among the issues to be deliberated in the Congress are technology and society interface, national resource management for evergreen revolution, national horticultural programme towards a nutritional security and impact of global changes on Indian agriculture.

The session on the `role of Panchayat Raj institutions', which will focus on the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers, will be chaired by Dr M.S. Swaminathan. Over 250 leaders of Panchayat institutions and farmers are expected to take part in the meet.

As part of the Congress, an agricultural exhibition on agri and agri businesses would be conducted at the TNAU's technology park.