President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil has stressed the need for greater innovation in the agriculture sector to achieve food security and meet the challenges of feeding a growing population. Addressing an international agri conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, the President said that a major breakthrough in agricultural productivity is needed to meet the growing demand for food amidst limited land and water resources.

Mrs Patil called on everyone working in the agriculture sector to think out-of-the-box to achieve a major breakthrough in farming, especially in rain-fed areas and small and fragmented landholdings. She said that the Government's endeavour is that in addition to irrigated areas, the agricultural revolution must cover rain fed areas, which continue to face the challenges of low productivity and scarcity of water.

The President also highlighted the need to integrate farming with other sectors and public-private partnerships to boost production. She said there should be deliberations on evolving suitable models for partnerships between farmers, the private sector and the government in agriculture and rural development.

Addressing the gathering, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said that India feeds nearly 17 per cent of the world's population and has a special responsibility in ensuring global food security. He stated that the agricultural growth is likely to be 7.5 per cent this year. He however stressed the need to scale up farm productivity through greater use of new technologies. He noted that the Agricultural Ministry has set up Kisan Cell Centres, a free of cost countrywide helpline for farmers and Kisan Knowledge management System with structured database for availability of information to farming community.