What are the areas which need attention both financially and scientifically?

• Price Volatility - Our farmers suffer from a high degree of price volatility leading to income instability. In particular, prices of vegetable commodities like potato, tomato and onion. Considerable areas of land are available both within cities and nearby areas and they can be used to promote a peri urban horticulture movement involving the cultivation on rooftops and vacant lands with crops like tomato, onion and other essential food plants. This will confer a double advantage - price stability on one hand and sustainable nutrition security on the other.
• Seawater Farming - India has a shoreline of nearly 8000 kms and there is great opportunity for seawater farming as is done on the kuttanad region of Kerala. India should become the leader in demonstrating how seawater can be used for the cultivation of variety of crops. This will increase the income of the coastal agriculture and also make them better prepared for the natural and unexpected calamities like tsunami.
• National year of millet - The GOI has declared 2018 as the National Year of Millets. It will be useful to organise a Millet Bio Valley for the conservation of Millets. The programme should be accompanied by the variety of small food industries based on the production of a wide variety of processed millets like breakfast cereals.
• Animal Husbandry and Fisheries - Kisan credit cards should be given to not only those who cultivating crops but also promoting the cultivation of poultry and marine and inland fisheries. Animal Husbandry can help the fisher families to derive some income during the season when catching fish is prohibited in order to promote regeneration.
• Rice Bio Park - A Rice bio park should be organised which will show the farmers how to increase the income through biomass utilisation. Thus, value added products will be prepared from rice straw, husk, brawn and grain. This will help farmers to derive income and employment from every part of biomass.
• Adaption to climate - It is important to set up climate risk management R &D centres at least one in every block level. Climate change could be a mega catastrophic and there is need for immediate steps both in areas of mitigation and adaptation.
• Establishment of farm schools : Farmer to farmer learning through Farm schools established in outstanding farmers fields should be initiated. Such a land to land programme can hasten the spread of skilled work in farming.
• Peri-urban Horticulture Revolution - One way of stabilising the prices of vegetables and fruits in urban areas is to promote peri urban agriculture by providing the necessary technical and marketing support. Urban and peri urban horticulture can pave way for more stable prices for the consumer. We can ensure the supply coupled with high quality safe food, while contributing to price stability.
• Orphan crops - Orphan crops are those that aren’t traded internationally, and therefore tend to get less attention in terms of research of agricultural training and extension. Research and development must be undertaken to promote these kind of orphan crops as they can provide both food security and nutritional security.