'Current economic crisis will impact agriculture'

Current economic crisis in the country will have a deep and far reaching impact on agricultural system of the country, asserted former secretary of agricultural department Nanasaheb Patil.

Patil was speaking at a program organised by Jai Kisan Farmers Forum at Raosaheb Thorat auditorium

Nashik

to celebrate the birth anniversary of India's first agriculture minister Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh.

In his address, Nanasaheb Patil pointed out that the economic growth in the country during the past 5 to 7 years had been very ye lo and this was an alarming situation for agricultural sector.

The the economic growth of the country since 1999 till 2010 was noticed at around 10% but during the last 5 to 7 years it had slipped to as low as 4.5% which is worrying situation.

Krishi Ratna awards were presented at the program in which former minister Vasudha Deshmukh, IFFCO director Sadhana Jadhav, Lata Chandrakar district agricultural superintendent Sanjiv Padwal and others where present.

Patil pointed out that the service sector had a major say in in economic progress of the country. Agricultural sector contributed 12% while industrial sector contributed 17% of the

economy

. Though the service sector has grown there is no employment generation and because of this there is larger unemployment which the country is now facing. Even at this point of time we have 53% of farmers in Maharashtra living below poverty line.

“We have youth who do want to stay and in farms and practice the agriculture but the ecosystem is not encouraging them to do so. The need is to have stronger economy that will help up the agriculture system grow and it is the government to who played the pivotal role in the same,” Patil said.