The Hindu Business Line : Swaminathan calls for rapid progress in agriculture

SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT: Dr M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman, National Commission of Agriculture, along with Mr Ranjit Sen, Executive Vice-President of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, at a seminar on "Indo-US Business Opportunities: Focus on Agriculture & Agri-Products" in Kolkata on Tuesday. — Parth Sanyal

Kolkata , July 27

IF agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right in the country.

Participating in an interactive session on `Indo-US business opportunities: Focus on agriculture and agri-products' organised by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), ER, with the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, East India Council, Dr M.S. Swaminathan, agriculture scientist and Chairman of the National Commission on Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security of India, said India needed an accelerated agricultural progress and an integrated on-farm and non-farm livelihood strategy.

He said the country had uncommon opportunities for rapid agricultural progress because of its untapped yield reservoir (compared to China) and trained manpower in frontier technologies. Mr Swaminathan said there was an urgent need to shift from a commodity-centred approach (Green Revolution) to an integrated natural resources management-centric platform.

Mr Swaminathan also called for establishment of a virtual academy for food security and rural prosperity.

In this context, he described the e-choupal initiatives of ITC Ltd as being in the right direction to empower the farmer.

Mr Swaminathan called for sustainability through conservation and enhancement of the basic life support systems, namely, land, water, forests, biodiversity and atmosphere.

He wanted concurrent attention on all aspects of soil healthcare. Preventing the diversion of prime land for non-farm uses was of utmost importance, he said.

Mr Swaminathan proposed certain action points which called for mixed cropping of mangroves (like in the Sunderban area), sustainable capture fisheries, low external input-sustainable aquaculture (shrimp farming) and market-driven off-farm enterprises.

Commenting on Indo-US partnership in agriculture, Mr Bhaskar Rajah, Deputy Director, American Centre, Kolkata, said the bilateral "revolution" of shared science, educational exchanges and applied agricultural technology had made India self-sufficient in food production.