President Patil to address workshop on agri policy tomorrow

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will address a workshop here on Wednesday to discuss various measures for rainfed and dryland farming in the country.

The President's Secretariat shall be hosting a workshop on "Policy initiatives for promoting partnership between stakeholders in agriculture with particular reference to rainfed /dryland farming.

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Union Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries Sharad Pawar and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee amongst others will attend this workshop.

During the one-day workshop, four sessions will be held.

The first will be on policy initiatives to remove factors impeding rapid growth in rainfed/dryland farming, which will be chaired by Jammu and Kashmir Governor N.N. Vohra.

The second session shall be on knowledge management for sustainable agriculture, which shall be chaired by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr. Raman Singh.

The third session will be on farmer - industry partnership - a paradigm shift for integrated growth in rainfed farming, which will be chaired by Union Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily.

The last session shall be on farmer's organizations key to partnership - need for policy initiatives, which will be chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

The workshop will be attended by Chief Ministers, Governors, Lt. Governors, Union Ministers, Ministers from various States, Union Government officials, officials from State Governments, Vice-Chancellors of Agricultural Universities as well as representatives of private companies and entrepreneurs. (ANI)