Thrissur: The government wants every officer to act with more social responsibility and the audit will not be confined to economic terms but to performance as well, Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar has said. Speaking after releasing the ‘Package of Practice Recommendations-Crops (PoP) 2016,’ a book on cultivation brought out by the Kerala Agricultural University at a function held at the directorate of extension, KAU, the minister said that a more committed effort was necessary to register appreciable growth rate in agriculture.
“Agricultural research should focus on local crops and varieties. We are spending around Rs 2,400 crore for research, extension and administration in the agricultural sector. Yet the growth rate registered in this sector last year was minus four. This shows that the money spent and efforts taken are not reciprocated. I want a significant change in this. The growth rate in agricultural sector reflects the wellbeing of a society and hence it has to show a healthy trend. To achieve this, scientists and officers have to make a committed effort,” Mr Sunil Kumar said. Ollur MLA K. Rajan and KAU Vice-Chncellor Dr.P. Rajendran were present.
