Time for second green revolution: Kalam

President A P J Abdul Kalam on Thursday called for a Second Green Revolution, based on practical applications of latest technological innovations, to meet future foodgrain needs necessitated by increasing population growth.

Inaugurating the Global Forum on Agricultural Research triennial conference, he said it would enable the country to further increase its agricultural productivity through research and latest production methodologies. By 2020, India would need to produce over 340 million tonnes of foodgrains, he added. 8220;Our scientists and technologists have to work for doubling the productivity,8221; he said. He, however, said the increase in the production would have to surmount many impeding factors. The requirement of land for the increasing population as well as for greater aforestation and environment preservation would force a situation whereby the present 170 million hectares of arable land would not be fully available.