F.No.10-5/99-Policy-ES
Government of India Ministry of Agriculture
(Department of Agriculture and Cooperation)
(Policy & Plan Division)

------------

Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi

September 12, 2000

Agriculture sector is central to the social economic life of the country. It provides food for one billion population of the country; raw material for agro based industries and is a source of livelihood to two-thirds of country's population.

2. The agriculture sector has a tremendous potential for generating production, employment and incomes. Rapid changes in production technologies such as biotechnology, information technology and remote sensing technologies have opened new opportunities in the quest for self-reliance, food and nutritional security and prosperity for the farming community. India has considerable competitive advantage in agriculture exports, because of diverse agro-climatic conditions, relatively lower labour costs and near self-sufficiency of inputs. Liberalization of world trade in agriculture has opened up new vistas for growth and diversification of agriculture.

3. Economic liberalization and adjustments to market economy are placing demands for new agriculture technologies and agro management practices to harness the huge growth potential. The country also needs to take measures to provide an effective risk cover in production systems, insurance, price mechanisms, etc., to the farmers to induce them to put in greater efforts and investments to make full use of the emerging opportunities in the sector.

It has been decided to constitute a High Level Task Force on Agriculture with the following composition:

1. Shri Sharad Joshi, Chairman, Shetkari Sangathana Chairman
2. Shri P.P. Prabhu, Former Secretary (Commerce), Government of India, Member
3. Prof. Abhijit Sen, Economist, presently Chairman, Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices, New Delhi
4. Shri R.C.A. Jain, Additional Secretary -Member-Secretary, Deptt. of Agri. & Coop., Ministry of Agriculture

The Task Force will have the following Terms of Reference:-

• To assess the impact of WTO commitments on Indian agriculture and to suggest steps to safeguard the interest of the sector, while exploiting the opportunities presented by this treaty;

• To make recommendations to integrate the use of information technology and other emerging technologies in the agricultural sector;

• To make recommendations for effective risk management in agriculture including in production system, insurance, price mechanisms, future trading, etc.; and

• Any other matter referred to it by the Government.

5. The Policy & Plan Division, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture will provide the secretarial assistance to the Task Force. The members of the Task Force shall be eligible for TA/DA as per Rules.
6. The Task Force shall submit its report by February 2001. It may, however, submit interim reports, as and when considered necessary.

Sd/-

(Govindan Nair)
Joint Secretary to the Government of India