The Hindu : National : Swaminathan for setting up Indian trade organisation

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Swaminathan for setting up Indian trade organisation

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Eminent agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan has called for setting up an Indian trade organisation as a national counterpart of the WTO.

Addressing an “International Conference on Natural Rubber Extension and Development,” organised by the Rubber Board, he said there was need to segregate the support extended to farmers for their livelihood and the support for commodities that could be considered trade distorting in the global market. Agriculture exports accounted for only 6.2 per cent of the total agriculture production.

“The greatest need of the plantation industry is to understand the impact of climate change, equip for adaptation and work in partnerships, capacity building and policy formulation.”

The large rural population was the strength of the country. There was a profound role for rural, tribal and farming communities in generating, conserving, enhancing and making available the agro-biodiversity required for current and future crop improvement.

Emphasising the need for a strong biotech regulatory authority, he said safety of the environment, health and nutrition security of consumers should be the bottom-line for the regulatory policy.

There was need for measures to generate awareness among students, grassroots democratic institutions and administrators on the protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001, and Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Rubber plantations in India could be affected by climate change in two ways – directly due to changes in temperature, precipitation and carbon dioxide levels and indirectly through changes in soil health and frequency of infestation by insects, diseases and weeds.

Tracing the history of natural rubber in India, he said the production increased from 24,060 tonnes in 1956-57 to 8,52,895 tonnes in 2006-07. The area under production increased from 97,339 hectares to 6,15,200 hectares in the same period.

“Natural rubber is technically acceptable and environment-friendly. India can produce natural rubber at a globally competitive rate, provided its production is adequately supported by R&D and extension.”

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