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Former President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday called for greater investment in agricultural innovation, sustainable cultivation and stronger links between farmers and markets, saying India must move beyond being a leading rice producer and exporter to becoming a global leader in quality and value addition.
Addressing the Bharat International Rice Conference 2026, Kovind said Indias position as the worlds largest producer and exporter of rice brought both opportunities and responsibilities, including the need to improve farmers incomes while protecting natural resources. Our ambition should be to move beyond being a leading producer and exporter to becoming a global leader in quality, sustainable cultivation, agricultural innovation, and value addition, he said. Kovind said the entire rice value chain needed to be strengthened, from farming and harvesting to storage, transportation, processing and international marketing. Better seeds and farming practices could improve productivity and quality, while modern harvesting methods, scientific storage and efficient transportation could help reduce post-harvest losses, he said. He also called for stronger branding and reliable supply chains to help Indian businesses reach new markets and build lasting relationships with international buyers. Highlighting the challenges facing agriculture, Kovind said climate change and pressure on natural resources required changes in how agricultural produce was cultivated, processed and traded. We will have to increase productivity while reducing water consumption and protecting soil health, he said, adding that modern technology must be made accessible to small farmers and enterprises. Emphasising the role of farmers in the rice industry, Kovind said better access to technology, timely information about market requirements, scientific storage and dependable buyers could help them secure better returns. The ultimate objective must be a rice economy in which growth at the global level creates meaningful gains at the village level, he said. Kovind also stressed the importance of food security, saying it involved more than increasing production and required food to be available, affordable, accessible and nutritious. He urged participants to focus on three priorities: building partnerships that connect farmers more closely with markets and ensure fair returns, investing in innovation to improve productivity and protect natural resources, and strengthening international trade based on reliability, transparency and mutual benefit. Kovind said these efforts would be important as India works towards the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He expressed hope that the conference would strengthen existing partnerships, open new avenues of cooperation and advance shared goals of food security, sustainable agriculture and inclusive prosperity. (ANI)
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