Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu Friday said that making agriculture sustainable and profitable should top the agenda of both central and state governments as food security is the key foundation of national security.

Addressing the concluding session of the two-day National Consultation on Agriculture at Vaikunth Mehta National Cooperative Institute of Management, Naidu said that a multi-pronged strategy needs to be adopted to make agriculture viable and ensure that the interests of the farmers are protected.

The Vice President said that the recommendations of the two-day deliberations on six themes will be shared with a wider audience and key stake holders including the union and the state governments and farmers’ organisations.

He further said that the outcomes of the national consultation along with inputs received from the wider cross section of people will be placed before the nation.

This is expected to generate informed debate on critical issues in this sector and lead to tangible action touching the lives of farmers across the country, he added.

Expressing his concern that the system was in favour of the articulate and organised urban sector, the Vice President said that the time has come for a sharper focus on rural, agrarian population and a positive bias towards farmers.

Interests of both farmers and consumers need to be balanced, he added.

"We have become self sufficient in food grains. However, this has not translated into higher incomes for the farmers. Unless agriculture is made profitable, we cannot attract more people, especially youth, to take up farming," Naidu emphasised. 

The Vice President said that farmers have contributed immensely in transforming our nation into an exporter of food grains and we owe a lot to them. He further said that food security is central to national security and our kisans are continuously ensuring it.  That's why our nation salutes the farmers and says 'Jai Kisan!', he added.