Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said the country needs to move from food security to farmers’ prosperity as the nation is exceeding in farm produce.

“You have to script a new chapter as it is the opportune time to move our agricultural agenda forward. Food security was once a national priority, but no more. The times have changed, and we have to ensure that our farmers turn prosperous. For this, institutions like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) need to be engaged at the ground level,” he said while addressing students and faculty of TNAU in Coimbatore.

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Urging that the gap between lab and land be bridged through a seamless connection, the Vice President said, “Lab and land should be together, and for this, our 730 Krishi Kendras must be vibrant centres of action, engaging with farmers and educating them. You must persuade the farmer to rise above being a mere producer. Innovation and research have to be evaluated based on the impact they have on the farming community.”

Research, he said, must be need-based and applied to serve a cause. “Apart from the Union government, research must be supported by trade, commerce, and business. Agri entrepreneurship should be given the much-needed fillip. It is not enough that the country of 1.4 billion has just 6,000 start-ups. The United States helps its farmers massively with the motto of enhancing their well-being,” he added. “There is a massive fertiliser subsidy, and institutions like TNAU must ensure that the subsidy reaches farmers so that they get Rs 35,000 annually. What we need is not just farmers, but farmer-traders and farmer-entrepreneurs.”

Batting for greater corporate engagement in agronomy, he said, “I would urge them to connect with the farmer and give back to the farming sector.