Indore: A two-day meeting of agriculture ministers from BRICS nations began in Indore on Friday under India's presidency, with food security, welfare of smallholder farmers and greater participation of women and youth in the sector among the key issues on the agenda.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan led the ministerial dialogue on the theme, 'Smallholder Farmers, Women and Youth: Securing the Future of Food'.
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The meeting in Indore, India's cleanest city, is focusing on strengthening agricultural cooperation among BRICS member nations and addressing common challenges facing the farm sector, officials said.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Chouhan said, "India is the mother of democracy. It is a matter of pride for us that India is chairing BRICS. I believe that when the joint declaration is issued after the conclusion of the meeting on Saturday, we will have achieved several important outcomes under India's presidency."
The Union minister said the role of women and youth in agriculture would be among the focus of discussions.
"Women have traditionally made a significant contribution to agriculture in India and many other countries. We will deliberate on ways to enhance their participation in the sector," he said.
Attracting young people to agriculture was equally important, Chouhan stressed.
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"All BRICS member countries believe that if young people adopt new technologies and innovations and move towards agriculture, food production will increase further. This will strengthen global food security and help provide nutritious food to people," he said.
The minister said issues concerning small farmers would remain at the centre of the deliberations.
"In India, 86 per cent of farmers are smallholders. Around 70 per cent of farmers in BRICS countries own less than two hectares of land. They face multiple challenges and we will discuss ways to empower them and improve their standard of living," he said.
Before the ministerial meeting, a three-day meeting of officials under the BRICS Agriculture Working Group concluded in Indore on Thursday.
The five-day deliberations are expected to culminate in the adoption of the 'Indore Declaration' on Saturday, officials said.
BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
