Food grain production has touched 230 Mt in 2008-09 from a mere 51 Mt in 1951-52.The country has attained self sufficiency in food grain production and also have sufficient buffer stock.
Image Source: agronigeria.com.
The country has also made impressive progress in production of food grains, oilseeds, horticultural crops, milk, poultry, etc Among others, the agricultural engineering inputs have played appreciable role in increasing production and productivity through appropriate mechanization inputs for production and post production agriculture enabling timely field operations, conservation and judicious application of water, appropriate post harvest operations to reduce losses, value addition to the produce and byproducts for enhanced economic returns and employment generation.. Millions of additional jobs need to be created every year in rural area.
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Therefore, in the coming years, agricultural engineering has to play a major role in increasing the production and productivity, minimizing losses at production and post-production levels, creating avenues for value-adding to the agricultural produce at catchment level thereby increasing income, employment and providing high level nutrition to underprivileged masses. So far, variety of technologies suitable for varied agro-climatic condition and land holding have been developed and found wide acceptance. To keep pace with the present population growth and consumption pattern, a 6.7% annual growth in food grain production is targeted.