Agro Food Trade Centre and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh jointly organised ‘Farm to Fortune’ conclave at the Agro Food Trade Centre at Sikkandar Chavadi with focus on ways for the farmers to earn more income through agricultural produce, particularly paddy, dried chillies and jaggery.

Founder and CMD of Agro Food Trade Centre S. Rethinavelu highlighted that while the economy of the country and the State was progressing, there was a stagnation in the growth of agriculture. The sector has to grow to provide employment opportunities to people, he said, emphasising on the importance of research and awareness in the sector.

He said a representation in this regard would be made to the State government to give special attention to the agricultural sector as agricultural development and economic development of Tamil Nadu was not growing at the same speed.

He said contribution towards the State GDP was falling. Cultivable lands with irrigation facilities have not increased over the years. Restoration of waterbodies should be taken up immediately, he said.

The Agro Food Trade Centre will step forward and provide knowledge intervention and extend a helping hand to the farmers and to help take them to the next level to export their agricultural produce and make agriculture profitable, he said.

National Organising Secretary of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh Dinesh Kulkarni said while minimum support price for crops had increased, income of farmers should also increase. Farmers were not able to get good income because the cost of production had increased. The prices of fertilisers, pesticides and other products had increased and this in turn led to the increase in the cost of production, he said.

He said Agro Food Trade Centre and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh were working together to help farmers with value addition. Laboratory infrastructure and grading facilities were available. Farmers and traders should work together in this regard, he said.

State President of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh N.S. Parthasarathy said the plight of the farmers should not be ignored by the authorities. Farmers should get the right price and only if they make profit, farmers, traders and consumers will be happy, he said.