Three day 'GRAM' begins in Jaipur; to expose farmers to latest farm technologies

New Delhi [India], Nov 4 (ANI): The three-day Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) 2016 gets under way in Jaipur on November 9, 2016. GRAM 2016 will expose the farming communities to the technological advancements and global best practices and showcase investment opportunities in the state to agri-business communities across the world. 'GRAM' is jointly organized by the Government of Rajasthan and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Israel is the partner country for the event. The mega event is expected to witness the participation of around 50,000 farmers. At the Inaugural Session on November 9, the Chief Guest will be Union Agriculture Minister, Radha Mohan Singh where yoga guru Baba Ramdev will also be present. On November 10 in the presence of the Union Minister of Urban Development, M Venkaiah Naidu, a MOU signing ceremony will take place. At the Valedictory Session on November 11, the Chief Guest will be Union Minister of the State for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Panchayat Raj, Parshottam Rupala. The event is aimed at ensuring economic empowerment of the farmers through accelerated yet sustainable growth in agriculture. In addition to farmers, the global event will also showcase global best practices and best of technologies suited to the agro-climatic conditions of Rajasthan. It will also be an important platform for investors, manufacturers, academicians and researchers. The event will focus on Farmer Empowerment, showcase Agri-Innovations, Marketing Tie-Ups, Joint Ventures, Technology Transfers, International Investments, Business Opportunities, Encourage Agri-based Research and Common Platform for Agri and Allied Ecosystem. An exhibition will be one of the main features of the GRAM. A total area of 20,000 square meter space has been earmarked as an exhibition area during the event. The exhibition area will be divided into various categories like Livestock, Post Harvest Technologies, Agri Inputs and Protected Cultivation, Organic farming, Food and Food Processing Technologies, Farm Machinery, Implements and Allied Service, Financial Institution, Irrigation, Plasticulture and Precision Farming. To promote agri-entrepreneurship a special pavilion on startups will be setup. Furthermore, there will be a special pavilion on organic farming as well to promote herbal and medicinal plans. Delegates of Australia, The Netherlands and Israel will participate in 'GRAM'. This event is a platform to exchange and learn modern and hi-techniques used by these countries in the Agriculture and Allied sectors. Addressing a curtain raiser press meet here today, Prabhu Lal Saini, Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan, observed that in keeping with the Prime Minister's vision of doubling the income of farmers by 2022, the State Government had initiated several steps to help farmers grow high value added crops, through systematic and aggressive marketing and other farmer-friendly policies. He expressed confidence that these steps would enable the State to over-achieve the target of raising farm incomes. He said that NITI Aayog had ranked Rajasthan the third, after Maharashtra and Gujarat in the area of agricultural reform. The policies adopted by the current State Government would make Rajasthan the leading State soon in this regard. Neelkamal Darbari, Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Government of Rajasthan, in her remarks, said that famers were the central figures in GRAM 2016, where the focus will be on innovative farming techniques and high value crops to give farmers the incomes due to them. Rajasthan, she said, had 40,000 villages and the effort was to bring at least one farmer from each village to the mega event so that he could go back and share his experiences with his family, fellow farmers and the entire community. Dr. A. Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI, said that GRAM 2016 was the single largest agriculture meet in the country and it has attracted the participation of 50000 formers and over 200 corporate. The objective was to expose the farmers to latest farm technologies and showcase to business the opportunities for investment in the State. (ANI)