Noted agriculture scientist and Rajya Sabha member M.S. Swaminathan on Wednesday asked the government to formulate a well-devised strategy to maximise the benefit of a good monsoon (that is predicted) to achieve a growth rate of at least five per cent in farm and allied sectors.
“Climate-resilient agriculture”
“Had we had a scientific monsoon management strategy, we could have minimised the loss last year,” he said inaugurating the National Consultation on Agro-biodiversity, adding that “climate-resilient agriculture” was the need of the hour.
“If we have a strategy for maximising the benefit of a good monsoon, we can hope to achieve at least a five per cent growth rate during 2010-11 in agriculture and allied sectors,” Dr. Swaminathan said.
The India Meteorological Department has predicted a normal monsoon in 2010.
According to him, the monsoon management strategy should focus on improving soil health, maximising the benefits of available water sources, spreading the best available technologies, ensuring credit and economic viability of farming.
“Just beginning”
He said the Southwest Monsoon was just beginning. “We have only a few weeks for launching a movement for maximising the benefit of a good monsoon. Unless the Centre and States take immediate action in organising the Monsoon Management Teams in each of the 128 agro-climatic zones, the Finance Minister will have serious problems in linking outlay with outcome.”
Warning that every day lost would be a blow to food security of the country, Dr. Swaminathan said the “future belongs to nations with grains, not guns.”
“Guns can be easily purchased in the global market but grains cannot be, as our efforts to import pulses to contain food inflation revealed this year,” Dr. Swaminathan pointed out.
