New Delhi, Jan 23 : The agriculture sector is the backbone of the economy and the government accords highest priority to this sector and has taken several vital steps to improve the socio-economic status of the farmers to, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Parshottam Rupala, said on Friday while virtually addressing the National Conference on Agriculture for Summer Campaign 2021. In spite of the uncertainty during the lockdown period, one activity which gave continuous hope was agriculture, he said. Throughout India, a number of farmers and agriculture labourers toiled against all adversities. Their untiring efforts coupled with timely interventions by the Central and state governments ensured that there was minimal or no disruption to harvesting activities, he added. As per the fourth Advance Estimates (2019-20), total food grains production in the country is estimated at 296.65 million tonnes, and horticulture production at 319.57 million tonnes, which will be an all-time record. The pulses and oilseeds production is estimated at 23.15 million tonnes and 33.42 million tonnes, respectively. Production of cotton is being estimated at 354.91 lakh bales with which India will be the top cotton producing country in the world. On the production and productivity fronts, the horticulture sector has also outperformed conventional food grain crops. The government will make all out efforts to make the agriculture sector self-reliant by developing necessary strategies, improving production technologies, creating new market opportunities and developing agricultural infrastructure under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the minister. /IANS