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The plastic industry has to come up with techniques to make plastic useful for agriculture by minimizing its harmful effects, said Hukmdev Narayan Yadav, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Talking to KNN on the side-lines of National Conference on Potential of Plasticulture in India organised by FICCI, he said that plastic has become a necessity now for use in agriculture and there is no alternative for it in certain things. According to the FICCI-Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG) report on the potential of plasticultre in the country, India is at a crucial juncture when it needs to tackle the issue of food security by optimizing the use of resources, which traditionally has been taken for granted. Plasticulture is a viable solution for India, to launch 2nd Green Revolution. The paucity of water, lower productivity and inefficient use of fertilizer leading to higher carbon footprint can all be taken care by efficient use of Plasticulture. He chairman further said that the plastic is cheap, durable and easy to carry for the farmers. “The efforts will be done to remove the loopholes from plastic,” he said. The report notes that the Government needs to create an environment by promoting Plasticulture through easy and efficient sanction of subsidies and promoting investments by allocating a share of agriculture budget to R&D. It is important to leverage the knowledge bank, which exists in the Indian institutes and tacit understanding of extension services today, to develop tailored solutions as per the local conditions and while also incorporate learning from other economies. The concentrated effort would ensure that the growth rate remains sustainable in following years, as the current penetration level are quite low. With a systematic industry approach supported by policies and government, a second Green Revolution could be triggered. He further explained that the drip and spraining irrigation can’t be done without plastic pipes. We have to raise the production in agriculture, he added. Commenting on drought, he said that the Government of India is doing enough to deal with drought. All the states governments and agriculture ministers are making efforts to fight against it. (KNN Bureau)