The Green Revolution was criticised by social activists on the ground that the high-yield technology involving the use of mineral fertilizers and chemical pesticides is environmentally harmful.
Integrated coastal zone management procedures involving concurrent attention to both the landward and seaward site of the ocean and to coastal forestry and agro-forestry as well as capture and culture fisheries are urgently needed.
I was chairman of the steering committee for agriculture when we set up the target of 4% growth rate. I had written that if you want to achieve 4% growth rate in agriculture, you should have 8% growth in animal husbandry and fisheries and 8% in horticulture.
Farming is the riskiest profession in the world since the fate of the crop is closely linked to the behaviour of the monsoon.
Denying a child even at birth an opportunity for the full expression of its innate genetic potential for physical and mental development is the cruellest form of inequity.
You can classify farmers into two major groups. One who saves seeds for the next crop and the other who purchases seeds from the market. Most of the commercial farmers like the US farmers are people who purchase seeds.
Farmers are happy so long as their net income will not be adversely affected. In organic farming, in the first couple of years you may drop in yield until you build up the soil fertility – you need inputs for output.
Agriculture can trigger job-led economic growth, provided it becomes intellectually satisfying and economically rewarding.
Floods will become more serious and frequent in the Indo-Gangetic plains. Drought induced food and water scarcity will become more acute. South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and the small islands will be the worst victims.
Agriculture involves crop husbandry, animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries. Your income will go up only if you look at the system, and not from one crop alone.
My own motivation has come from the fact that all the indicators in the world, the hunger index or whatever index you say, shows a high prevalence of malnutrition.
A life cycle approach to food security will imply attention to the nutritional needs of a human being from conception to cremation. The most vulnerable but neglected segment is the first 1,000 days in a child’s life – the period from conception to the age of two, when much of the brain development takes place.
After the Green Revolution, I came up with the concept of the Evergreen Revolution. In this we will see increase in farm productivity but without ecological harm.
Agriculture is the backbone of the livelihood security system of nearly 700 million people in the country and we need to build our food security on the foundation of home grown food.
I was chairman of the steering committee for agriculture when we set up the target of 4% growth rate. I had written that if you want to achieve 4% growth rate in agriculture, you should have 8% growth in animal husbandry and fisheries and 8% in horticulture.
Contract farming can be promoted if it is structured on the basis of a win-win situation both for the producer and the purchaser.
All kinds of excuses have been given by governments for not implementing this recommendation like food price inflation. But the question is, do the farmers of this country, who constitute nearly half of the working population, also not need to eat?
Organic farming and other earlier methods can be effective, provided they can help us improve soil health and plant health. Plant pesticides like neem and tobacco need to be promoted.
In any case, if I grow hybrid maize or hybrid pearl mallet or any hybrid, I have to sow fresh seed every year. I cannot keep the seed of the same plant. If I keep the seed of the same plant, yield will be much less and there will be a wide variation in the field, like maturity period, quality and so on.
After the Green Revolution, I came up with the concept of the Evergreen Revolution. In this we will see increase in farm productivity but without ecological harm.
India’s future has to be built on the foundation of social protection of the economically and socially handicapped sections.
When politicians talk of loan waiver, they are accepting that agriculture is not economically viable. They are giving a wrong signal that farming is not economically viable. It’s true. That’s where the loan waiver comes in.
In Punjab wheat production it is a ‘gamble of temperature’ unlike other parts of the country where there is a ‘gamble of rainfall’.
Farming is the riskiest profession in the world since the fate of the crop is closely linked to the behaviour of the monsoon.
Rain harvesting should be made mandatory and should be made more systematic to ensure that every drop of rain is preserved.
To sum up, agriculture has made important progress and our farmers have now shown that they are second to none in terms of improving production and productivity.
Aberrations in monsoon behaviour are not uncommon, having been with us throughout our agricultural history.
Agriculture can trigger job-led economic growth, provided it becomes intellectually satisfying and economically rewarding.
In the current scenario of climate change, predictions of extreme weather events are becoming difficult.
Rice, wheat and other grains can help to address protein-calorie under-nutrition. But only attention to horticulture, milk and eggs can help to overcome hidden hunger caused by the deficiency of micro-nutrients like iodine, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B12, etc.
Ultimately, multiple livelihood opportunities alone can insulate farmers in rainfed areas from the debt trap.
I had the privilege of knowing and working with Norman Borlaug – who has been aptly described by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee as the greatest hunger fighter of our time – for nearly 50 years.
I have frequently pointed out that the future belongs to nations with grains and not guns.
Most pesticides lose their efficacy after a few years, because of pest resistance to pesticides. This is why companies go on changing the varieties.
Most pesticides lose their efficacy after a few years, because of pest resistance to pesticides. This is why companies go on changing the varieties.
Pages: 1 2
