Andhra Pradesh   

George Bush gets a glimpse of rural Andhra Pradesh

S. Nagesh Kumar

U.S. President interacts with farm scientists

HYDERABAD: A brief visit to Hyderabad on Friday gave U.S. President George W. Bush a glimpse of how country's rural economy sustains itself and, contrastingly, how young and modern-looking entrepreneurs plan to compete with the world's best in industry.

Mr. Bush saw the use of simple and cost-effective technologies by farmers to improve yield and innovative methods to market their produce when he visited the Agricultural University named after an eminent son of the Andhra soil Prof. N. G. Ranga. Harking back to the days he spent at his ranch in Texas, the U.S. President tried his hand at a tiller, a rake and a moisture-testing meter.

Barely 30 minutes later, he was at the gleaming premises of the Indian School of Business, a management school supported by the Wharton and Kellogg Business School of the U.S., talking to a group of 16 young entrepreneurs, where he stated, quite significantly for India, that the U.S. "rejects objections against outsourcing of jobs." He said the U.S. was looking at the 300 million strong Indian middle class for business opportunities.

Grant for varsities

The agriculture university is among several universities slated to receive a $ 100 million grant under the Knowledge Initiative for which a protocol is to be signed. Escorted by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr. Bush had a 30-minute long meeting with agricultural scientists and Vice-Chancellor S. Raghuvardhan Reddy when he discussed, among other things, the subject of greater cooperation with U.S. agri-varsities.

Perhaps for the first time, Mr. Bush saw the simple Indian wooden plough and posed for photographs with it slung across his right shoulder. Amused by a jumbo-size pumpkin, Mr. Bush lifted up to his chest and parodied as if he was going to fall under its weight.

He spent time at the premises of the National Seed Project talking to progressive farmers, learning the intricacies of operating a handloom for weaving silk sarees, besides talking to women of self-help groups who informed him of how the 6.20 lakh SHGs had raised hundreds of crores of rupees by saving one rupee a day.

He displayed interest in export of mangoes to the U.S., the Chief Minister later said.

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