Swaminathan’s Green Revolution made India self-sufficient: Minister

Speaking at a function organised by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University here to felicitate Prof Swaminathan for winning the first World Agriculture Prize, he said, “Under the Green Revolution programme led by him in 1960s and 80s, wheat and rice seeds with better yields were planted in the farmers’ fields. This revolution made India self-reliant in foodgrain in less than 25 years, thereby bringing glory to Prof Swaminathan as the scientific leader of India’s ‘Green Revolution Movement’”.

Singh said, Prof Swaminathan has won many awards and recently won the World Agriculture Prize conferred by the Indian Council of Food and Agriculture (ICFA) for his research on genetics, cytogenetics, radiation and food and biodiversity conservation.

Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government, after taking over in 2014, started working towards all-round development of the agriculture sector, Singh said, it has always been the government’s vision to enhance the income of farmers.

To reduce the cost of production, the use of soil health card and neem-coated urea and schemes related to “more crop per drop” were being targeted and successfully implemented, Singh said.

The Union Minister reiterated government’s commitment to ensure remunerative price for farmers for their produce. The goal of integrating 585 mandis with e-NAM has been achieved till March 2018, he added. ‘’By 2019-20, additional 415 mandis (200 in 2018-19 and 215 in 2019-20) will be integrated with e-NAM’’, he said.

Singh exuded confidence that under the leadership of Prof Swaminathan, the agriculture and food security would continue to be sustainable in the coming years in India and the government would be successful in doubling the income of farmers within the given target