Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ajay Kumar Sood, has said that Agriculture contributes 15 to 20 per cent to India’s economic output. Addressing the two-day Dialogue NEXT event, organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in New Delhi, Mr Sood said, agriculture supports almost 60 per cent of the workforce and sustains millions of livelihoods. He added that ICAR will introduce a National Plant Health Mission in the coming months to address the issue of crop losses in the country, right from plant diseases and pest surveillance, to integrated plant health management.

 

 

 

Under the theme “Take it to the Farmer”, the event emphasises the urgent need for transformative agricultural solutions, particularly for farmers across the Global South. The two-day event, in collaboration with International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), gathers global agricultural leaders, policymakers and scientists at ICAR Convention Centre.