SHARING VIEWS: Agricultural scientist M. S. Swaminathan at the M. Ram Gopal Reddy memorial lecture in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Madhya Pradesh Governor Balram Jakhar and Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy are also seen. — Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Former Chairman of the National Commission on Farmers M.S. Swaminathan has exhorted the Central Government to bring in the best in modern science and technology to agriculture sector for revolutionising small farm management.

Prof. Swaminathan, who is also Chairman of M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, underscored the need for a multi-pronged strategy to revive the agriculture sector and improve economic viability of farmers.

The Centre that is working on a draft national policy for farmers should not only measure the progress of agriculture in statistical terms, but also mainstream the human dimensions in agricultural programmes and strategies for measuring the improvement in the income of farmers.

Delivering the first M. Ramgopal Reddy Memorial lecture organised here on Wednesday, he expressed concern that more than 40 per cent of those engaged in farming were prepared to quit the profession if an alternate opportunity was offered to them.

There was a need for pedagogic and curriculum reform in a big way to make farming viable.

Three-pronged strategy

In this direction, the Government should adopt three-pronged strategy involving the creation of "gyan choupal" (knowledge centre) in every village with access to everybody, reorganisation of Krishi Vignan Kendras and land to land education to farmers.

In addition, agriculture universities could train two persons each from the village as farm science managers.

Creation of an All-India Agricultural Council for giving accreditation to agriculture graduates and special agricultural zones with a package of technology, services, technological infrastructure and producer-oriented trade were needed for improving economic and ecological efficiency of small -scale farming.

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