The need to shift focus from productivity to profitability and quantity to quality in the domestic agriculture sector was underlined by different industry players at a conference on ‘Agri-Business in Andhra Pradesh — Challenges and Opportunities' organised by the Federation of AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry here on Friday.
Dr Ravi Prasad, President of Coromandel International, said Andhra Pradesh, which produces a broad variety of crops from coffee to red pepper, had ample opportunity to make this sector a multi-faceted business through a scientific approach, value addition and improved marketing.
He noted with concern that storage capacity, both in the State and across the country, was still in short supply, as also labour shortage in the agri sector.
He also pointed out that drop in gas supplies from the D6 block in the KG basin may pose some difficulties for fertiliser makers.
On the Government initiative to provide subsidies directly to the farmers, Dr Prasad felt that it would be successful if farmers were all provided with UIDs to facilitate electronic transfer of the money.
Dr P. Chandra Sekhara, Director of Centre for Agri-Entrepreneurship Development, at the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management, wanted the conference to debate on how to further attract the private sector to invest in agriculture.
It should be the endeavour to make farmers into entrepreneurs, he pointed out.
Industry representatives across different segments, including banking, seeds and marketing, attended the conference.
Dr Hemanath Rao, Director of Centre for Poverty Studies and Rural Development, ASCI, and Dr G.V. Bhaskar Rao, Managing Director of Kaveri Seeds, were amongst the speakers.