New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Tuesday stressed that
water management was the key if India is to realise its objective of
achieving four percent annual farm growth.

Addressing a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC)'s sub-
committee on agriculture, Pawar said the challenge before India
is "to attain four percent annual growth in the agriculture sector
within the shortest possible time and in a broad-based fashion".

He said: "Water management holds the key to achieve such a growth
rate in a sustainable manner. It has been estimated that about 20
million hectares of additional land can be brought under irrigation
by completing ongoing major and medium irrigation projects and by
constructing field channels in command areas."

Pawar assured states that the central government was committed to
finding adequate resources for this purpose.

"Efficiency in the use of water can be greatly improved through
installation of drip, sprinkle and fertigation systems," he said.

Emphasising the need for diversification, Pawar said for too long
states remaining outside the pale of the green revolution had borne
the brunt of climatic change and weather vagaries.

This issue needs to be addressed within a systemic approach aimed at
improving soil moisture retention, groundwater recharging and
alternate crop use through the integrated adoption of "agri-horti-
livestock".

"This will enhance productivity and sustainability of dry land
agriculture in rain-fed areas and bring income stability (to) our
farmers. The establishment of a 'National Rain-fed Area Authority'
will be a major step in this direction," he said.

Pawar urged states to join the move to implement marketing reforms
by amending their Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Acts "to
allow for contract and free marketing, smooth flow of raw materials
to agro-processing industries, setting up of marketing
infrastructure in the private sector and adoption of innovative
marketing systems and technologies".

So far only six states have implemented the model legislation framed
by the central government.

Pawar also drew attention of the states to the low outlay allocated
for agriculture, which in most cases constituted only four or even
less percent of the total outlays.