Shri Raj Krishan Gaur, Agriculture Minister stressed upon the need to familiarize and educate the senior-level officers of the Department of Agriculture about the implications of WTO and IPR with respect to Indian agriculture perspective.
Inaugurating a two-day workshop on World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) organized by the Department of Agriculture here today, Shri Gaur said that WTO and IPR texts being legal documents and their interpretation and implication were not easily understandable by common farmers, so it was the responsibility of the extension functionaries to understand the concepts, implications and opportunities contained in the WTO agreement and further disseminate it amongst the farming community of the State.
Agriculture Minister said that at present the reduction in domestic support including subsidies can not be done away without giving alternative support to the farmers like low cost inputs and assured market access including export facilities.
Dr. J.C. Rana, Director, Agriculture, welcomed the Minister and detailed out the objectives of the workshop.
