Indian President talks to eminent scientist

President Pratibha Patil and agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan at a special lecture on “Agriculture Cannot Wait,” in New Delhi on Monday.
New Delhi: In her first public address on Monday after assuming office, President Pratibha Patil laid emphasis on new policy initiatives to make agriculture attractive and rewarding so that it was at the centre-stage in the nation’s economic thinking.
Ms. Patil’s speech had a refreshing appeal for women-centric strategies, focus on small and marginal farmers, diversification of production and consumption patterns to include local foods and respect for traditional wisdom.
“This is my first assignment after I took over as President; the reason being that everything can wait but not agriculture,” she said, quoting Jawaharlal Nehru.
The President was speaking at a 60th Independence Anniversary Lecture, organised by the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and chaired by M.S. Swaminathan. The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Jacques Diouf, was the guest of honour.Suggestions
Ms. Patil’s five-page special lecture clearly spelt out the problems facing the farm sector and suggestions to make it viable. It was strong on gender.
“It would be really important to bear in mind that our agriculture strategies should not only be pro-poor and pro-nature, but also pro-women. The pioneering role played by women’s movements for preservation of forests and the topsoil is well recognised. The big leap in the country’s milk production can be credited to the toil and labour put in by nearly 75 million women, who are involved in the care of cattle. Women farm labour, which is 60 per cent, is playing a crucial role.”
Noting that the success story of the first Green Revolution had run its course, she said: “We cannot afford to rest on our laurels. The fruits of Green Revolution and the momentum generated by it should be sustained.”
Ms. Patil said despite structural weaknesses, farming was a “living heritage” that should be protected and preserved. The 80 per cent small and marginal farmers were an “inherent strength,” just as the soil, water, sunshine and India’s rich bio-diversity were.
Some of the measures that required immediate attention include management of water resources, timely supply of inputs, easy and efficient access to credit at low interest rates, better post-harvest management and enhancing the knowledge and skills of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in agri-business.
Calling for major investment in research, Ms. Patil said transfer of technology at farmers’ doorsteps should be the top priority of farm institutes and universities.
“Traditional wisdom must be respected and village communities should be enabled to preserve water, seeds and grains. Involving women, particularly for resource conservation, management and regeneration of wastelands can have a high pay-off.”
Emphasising the need for a climate literacy programme, she said the “narrow food security basket” must be widened to include local cereals, millets, sorghum, legumes, tuber crops, vegetables and fruits as an effective strategy to combat hunger.
Dr. Swaminathan said the purpose of the meeting was to re-dedicate itself to Gandhi’s goal of a hunger-free India.
He said the NAAS was preparing an operational plan for Bihar and eastern India — currently facing floods — into another fertile crescent.
“The region has a high untapped farm production reservoir. We should start looking beyond the floods and assemble large quantities of planting material of sweet potato and seeds of short duration crops such as “sathi” maize to be given to farmers when floods recede. At the same time, we should start planting for a good rabi crop.”