The Hindu Business Line : Kalam wants farmers to reap expert advice

THE President, Mr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has asked scientists, meteorologists and agricultural universities to guide farmers by alerting them about impending droughts, recommending plants suited for disadvantageous geographies, and pinpointing fish catches using satellite images.

Inaugurating the National Virtual Congress of Farmers at the 93rd Indian Science Congress (ISC) here on Thursday, he made experts in relevant fields answer queries posed by the farmers, while spontaneously giving answers to some of them.

Farmers from the States of Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh interacted with the President through video-conference.

Responding to a question from Ms Lalitamba of Addakal in Mahboobnagar (Andhra Pradesh) on how to reduce the distress of farmers in drought-prone areas, Dr Kalam said there was an urgent need to properly maintain the water bodies.

Citing an experiment in Coimbatore, he said State Governments, in association with the public, should take the lead in this regard.

He then asked the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, to answer. Dr Reddy told the member of Adarsha Mahila Samakhya, a self-help group, that the Government would complete four irrigation projects in the district providing irrigation to eight lakh acres.

Mr Kalam advised the farmers to consider planting jatropha, the bio-diesel plant, that didn't need much water. "It is becoming a big business," he said.

Replying to a question from farmers from Pokhran, the nuclear test site in Rajasthan, he asked the experts to study and find out the suitable vegetation for the area.

Answering another question, he said agricultural universities and scientists should analyse the data of rains in the last 10 years and provide valuable information.

On a query from farmers of Koraput district in Orissa, he advised the farmers to add value while marketing products made from medicinal plants. "If you market leaves and flowers as it is, you won't get much. Do value addition, then you will get more. Otherwise companies or third parties will benefit out of it," he said.

Answering questions from the tsunami-hit Nagapattinam, he directed scientists to scan the coast using satellite images and provide intelligent inputs to fishermen on the availability of fish.

Referring to the Iceland example, he said different zones should be earmarked for coastal and deepwater fishing.

Mr Kalam said a software solution was available with Rashtrapati Bhavan that could provide virtual tele-education connectivity.

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