انہوں نے کسانوں کی آمدنی کو دو گنا کرنے، نوجوانوں کو زراعت کی جانب راغب کرنے، کسانوں کے لیے زیرو بجٹ اور زراعت کے تعلق سے بھارت کے مستقبل پر تفصیلی بات چیت کی۔ اس موقعے پر انہوں نے کسانوں کے لیے زیرو فارمنگ پر نااتفاقی ظاہر کی۔
معروف سائنسداں ایم ایس سوامی ناتھن نے ای ٹی وی بھارت کے ساتھ زراعت سے متعلق متعدد موضوعات پر کھل کر بات چیت کی۔ آئیے جانتے ہیں کہ آخر زیرو فارمنگ بجٹ کیا ہے، زیرو بجٹ کاشتکاری کا مطلب ہے کہ کسان کو کسی بھی فصل کے لیے کسی بھی طرح کا قرض نہ لینا پڑے۔ اس طرح کی کاشتکاری میں کیڑے، کیمیائی کھاد اور سنکر بیج کا استعمال نہیں ہوتا۔ کیمیائی کھاد کی جگہ دیسی کھاد کا استعمال ہوتا ہے۔ یہ کھاد گائے کے گوبر،گائے کے پیشاب، چنے کے بیسن، گڑ، مٹی اور دیسی بیجوں کا استعمال کیا جاتا ہے۔
جبکہ اس زراعت میں کسی بھی قسم کا ڈیزل یا پیٹرولیم مصنوعات استعمال نہیں کیا جاتا، تاکہ زراعت کی پیداوار میں کسانوں کی لاگت کم سے کم ہو۔
زیرو بجٹ کاشتکاری پر اس لیے بھی زور دیا جارہا ہے کیونکہ اقوام متحدہ کے ماحولیاتی پروگرام اور بین الاقوامی تنظیموں نے اس زرعی نظام کی حمایت کی ہے۔
Intro:Body:
Chennai: In an exclusive interview eminent agriculture scientist and father of Green Revolution in India Dr M S Swaminathan spoke to Etv Bharat on a range of topics related to agriculture - doubling of farmers’ income, attracting youth to agriculture, zero budget farming, future of Indian agriculture, etc.
Q: The central government has promised to double the farmer's income. Do you think it is possible in the current scenario?
A: Prime minister articulated this by saying that we must double farmer's income within a few years. In our view it is possible.
But, nothing is free gift. It is important to do things that are necessary to double farmer's income.
Q: What are the steps the government needs to take to double farmer's income and make farming more sustainable?
A: We need to concentrate on input pricing, output pricing, taxation policies, marketing infrastructure including irrigation, post-harvest technology.
For example, the income of farmers in Myanmar tripled and quadrupled by making farmers use every part of the rice plant.
It is called rice bio park. Similarly, in our country, it is possible to set up a rice bio park or wheat bio park.
Every part of the plant has economic value. At the moment we hardly use 40-50% of the agriculture produce for value addition, so we have immense opportunities.
Q: Do you think when the farmers are protesting on the road, youth will be attracted to farming?
A: If you don't attract youth to farming, farmer has no future. I was attracted to agriculture.
I was going to medical college, I got admission but then I decided to go to agriculture. Because I thought the future will depend on agriculture progress.
The future of the agricultural progress depends upon science, the introduction of science to agriculture. That's why I changed from medicine to agriculture.
Q: How do you see the future of agriculture?
A: The future of agriculture is very bright if we marry technology and trade and adjust to the climate. It requires more science than money.
Giving more income to farmers is very important, making more investment in agriculture is important.
Ultimately the whole thing depends upon how far we are able to provide the basic foundation necessary for sustainable agriculture.
This decade is sustainable agriculture decade. It's not green revolution it should be evergreen revolution.
The global market policy of International trade organization (ITO) should not influence our policy. We should have a national trade commission.
Q: There is a huge talk about zero budget farming. Will it be able to feed the whole country?
A: I don't agree with Zero budget farming. There is nothing like zero in anything. Finance minister referred to zero budget farming in the sense that we can reduce unnecessary expenditure and we should produce much more.
Q: What is the role of investment in agriculture?
A: Investment is fundamental. Investment needed in soil health, investment needed in plant health and so on.
So I think with all the lessons of the last few years, we hope the new agriculture of the New India will be pro-farmer, pro-poor and at the same time pro-consumer.
Conclusion:
