VISAKHAPATNAM: Co-Chair and Trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates lauded the Andhra Pradesh Government for taking bold steps to transform the agriculture sector and setting a model for others. Delivering the keynote address at the valedictory of the AP Agritech Summit-2017 (Agri Hackathon ) in Visakhapatnam on Friday, Bill Gates said,”The future of AP depends on the future of its small farmers.
It is great that the State is making investing heavily in micro-irrigation and digital soil mapping. Taking bold steps to transform the farm sector, Andhra Pradesh has become a role model for others.”
The three-day global event organised by the State government had brainstorming sessions on the cutting-edge technologies and the best practices in agriculture to benefit the farmers. More than 1,500 global leaders from 61 countries including business heads, start-up founders, leading policymakers, progressive farmers, NGOs, agriculture and technology experts participated in the summit.
Bill Gates said that he was impressed with the upcoming Mega Seed Park in Andhra Pradesh. “The project will make available high-quality seeds, and e-seed application, e-Krishi will give access to farmers to the high-quality seeds. Such initiatives will help the State achieve a sustained double-digit economic growth,” he added.
During his address, Bill Gates called for use of advanced science and technologies to boost the crop productivity. “India’s growth is dependent on agriculture. As 65 percent of the farming communities in India have small and marginal land holdings, we need to transform the sector from sustainable to the business venture. Then only, farmers can make profits,” he observed.