Virudhunagar: Renowned Agriculture scientist and chairman of the International Association of Agribusiness Development (IAAD), Dr M S Swaminathan today (Nov 24) warned that if one-third of the landless poor were not shifted to non-farming sector and provided skilled employment, there would be "job wars" throughout the nation as in Assam and Bihar.

Inaugurating the "National Consultation on Food Parks, Agri-Business and Quality Literacy", he agreed that there was economic growth in India. "But it is jobless economic growth. Whatever we earn will only go to police for maintaining law and order," he deplored.

He also said that the only sector that could provide lakhs of jobs for the landless poor was "small scale agri business" by which the country could make rapid progress. He said only 27 per cent of the agricultural produce of the country was processed. "If we add value to the produce, the farmers would get price, and at the same time lakhs of people would get jobs in the food processing units," he said.

There was vast untapped potential in the country for value addition to primary products, through agro- processing. The unemployed rural youths could be given training and they could convert the potential into "job providing economic wealth".

PTI