Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the Congress, being held for the first time in Asia. / Express photo

To discuss steps to make farming economically-viable in the era of WTO regime, a three-day World Agriculture Forum Congress will be organised here from November 4-7 next year.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the Congress, being held for the first time in Asia, which has the theme “Re-shaping agriculture for a sustainable future of small and marginal farmers”.

An agricultural trade fair will also be organised concurrently. As a prelude to the Congress, a meeting was held here today to discuss the agenda and related issues.

World Agriculture Forum Chairman Kenneth M Baker, WAF Advisory Board chairman and former Prime Minister of New Zealand James B Bolger, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Agriculture ministers — Kanna Lakshminarayana (AP), Ramkrishan Kusmariya (Madhya Pradesh) and D Prasad Mishra (Odisha) attended the meeting along with others.

The primary objective of the Congress was to discuss withall key stakeholders like farmers organizations, industry,government and scientists the steps for “re-shaping and re-positioning” small farm-holder agriculture to make farming economically-viable in the era of WTO regime, WAF Chairman Baker said.

Speaking on the occasion, Bolger noted that the challenge was to feed nine billion people in the world in the next 40 years, up from seven billion now.

“About 800 million to one billion people are left hungry everyday now, out of the world’s population of seven billion.

We have to feed not only these people but also an additional two billion people in the next 40 years. We need to produce 70 per cent more food in the next 40 years,” Bolger pointed out.

The task, therefore, in front of agriculture sector was “immense”. Its not a question if it is possible but its a question of the will. The world can feed itself better if there is a political will, the former Prime Minister observed.

“We need to use all the safe sides to reach the goal of feeding all,” he added. Stating that the WAF was trying to reach out to the world, Bolger said the WAF Congress was for the first time being held outside the US.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / Home> Cities> Hyderabad / by PTI- Hyderabad / November 24th, 2012