Attainment of Viksit Bharat has to be navigated carefully by institutions like yours. It is a privilege to be at this university, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. It has made seminal contributions to India’s food security. We have traversed from food scarcity to food being in plenty. You have affected agrarian development and served the broader cause of rural transformation, but I have a special reason to come to this place. One of the towering giants of agro-sector, one of the proudest sons of Bharat happens to be your alumnus.
I am referring to Bharat Ratna, Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan. Nationally and globally known as Dr. M. S. Swaminathan. He is having a rare distinction of being recipient of all the four civilian awards including the highest one. Dr. Swaminathan received Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and then rightly became Bharat Ratna.
It was my good fortune when I announced this in Rajya Sabha to the thunderous applause of all the members that Dr. Swaminathan who has played pivotal, transformative, game-changing role in agro-sector has been awarded Bharat Ratna. I hope and I am sure my hope is well-founded, you will keep his legacy aframed. You will promote his legacy, you will put his legacy on a higher gradient so that we can face the challenges the farmer faces.
Agro-sector has enormous potential that still remains to be tapped and that must begin in institutions like yours. Why I say so, let me reflect on our nation for a moment. Bharat is world’s oldest civilisation, a peace-loving nation where inclusivity and freedom of expression and thought are our legacy.
Traverse history for thousands of years and you will find in our civilisation inclusivity and freedom of expression thrived and blossomed and were respected. In present times, the quotient and gradient of expression and inclusivity is comparably the highest in the world.
Look around, there is no other country like Bharat which can demonstrate inclusivity and freedom of expression but we as citizens of this great nation, the largest democracy, the oldest democracy, the most vibrant democracy need to be extremely watchful, mindful and cognisant that freedom of expression and inclusivity must turn out to be our national assets and they should be.
It is duty of every citizen to bear in mind, particularly at a time when the nation is witnessing unstoppable exponential economic rise, extraordinary growth in infrastructure, technological penetration reaching to the last mile and the international repute of the nation and its leader, the Prime Minister is highest ever. We as citizens therefore have a great role to contribute to sustain this rise of the nation. This is right time for every citizen to fully become aware and also take advantage of ecosystem of hope and possibility.
Boys and girls and distinguished audience, I appeal to you to take a firm resolve that nation first will be our motto. Our unflinching commitment to nation and ever guiding star. No interest can be higher than that of the nation. India our Bharat has always been land of agriculture. Its heart pulsates in villages. It is lifeline of employment and economy.
It is final strength of the nation in every sense of the term and let me remember in this sacred land, the role of the farmer was taken to a high level by great poet, saint Thiruvalluvar, commonly known as Valluvar and this great poet, this great saint praised the farmers and said, ‘farmers are the cornerstone of humanity and agriculture as foremost craft’. He was right, he should be our beacon for enlightenment that farmer is ‘Annadata’, farmer is our ‘Bhagyavidhaata’.
The nation has made huge progress, remarkable progress over the decades. There was a time of food deficiency, there was a time when we used to import wheat from United States of America. I am sure seniors would know ‘PL 480’ but we have become self-sufficient in food. 46% of our population supports this and now a word of caution for you. The sector contributes only 16% to the GDP. Institutions like yours have to carry ahead legacy of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan to ensure there is quantum leap in contribution of this sector to our GDP.
You will be happy to know, India is now exporter of agriculture produce, with agri-food products forming approximately over 11% of our total exports but you have to script a new chapter. You have to write it differently.
It is time that our national agriculture agenda must move from food security, which was prime importance and national priority at one point of time, because we had food scarcity. So our concern was food security but now time has changed. We must move from food security to farmer prosperity. Farmer has to be prosperous and this script has to evolve from institutions like yours.
Therefore, I appeal to you and also compliment simultaneously for doing much in this direction. The gap between lab and land must not get bridged. It must be seamless connect. Lab and land must be together and for this, over 730 Krishi Vigyan Kendra must be vibrant centres of interaction with farmers to educate the farmers. But you have to be pipeline, you have to be supportive to those Krishi Vigyan Kendra. You must connect with Krishi Vigyan Kendra surround and also Indian Council of Agriculture Research has over 150 institutions focussing on every aspect of agronomy.
It was soothing for me and my wife to see your exhibition. Your remarkable contribution I could see but that has to be shared extensively. All stakeholders must work in unison for the same purpose being on the same page. Therefore, road ahead has to be evolved by you and that first and foremost has to be through your curriculum. I must compliment that you have evolved curriculum, different from others, which is making a difference. But now this change in curriculum must align to make farmer an entrepreneur.
You must persuade the farmer to rise above just being producer. You must have courses, formal and informal, whereby farmers, their children, get attracted to farming as marketeers, as value adders and you will be happy to know big change is taking place. But my confidence is optimal, because institutions like yours have the capacity and potential to be crucibles of change for our agro-farm sector.
Innovation and research initiatives must be evaluated as to what impact they have on the farmer. Are they having ground impact? And therefore, research has to be a priority. Research must be based on need. Research must serve a cause which you identify. I would urge that research must be supported, apart from government, at central then state, but also by industry, trade, business and commerce. Have courses for it. I am sure you will make some success.
Look at the situation we see in the country. When there is production in plenty of perishable goods, the challenge is right on the wall. What does the farmer do? The product, let’s say tomato, can’t last for long. Therefore, institutions like yours must transform perishable goods into self-stable, high-quality products. We can multiply profitability.
We can also create employment and cater to both domestic and global markets. If you have courses, there can be transformative industrial mechanisms on wheels. This can be addressed for a great, positive result. Therefore, agri-entrepreneurship needs to be given a great flip.
There are 6,000 agri-startups, but for a country of 1.4 billion, a country that has 100 million farming communities farmlands, this is not the right number. The government has taken many initiatives. People have to be aware about them. Make them aware about them. Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), I studied it in great depth. There is a budgetary allocation of 1 lakh crore. This can fund various activities to enhance and strengthen infrastructure for the farmer.
The government has started innovative schemes, PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. It is not freebie, it is distinct from freebie. It is doing justice to a sector that is our lifeline. This is a direct transfer to the farmer. United States of America helps its farmers massively, but it has only one motto. It will directly help the farmer. There will be no intervening situation.
In our country also, there is a massive subsidy for fertiliser. Institutions like yours must think that if subsidy that is given by the government to fertiliser sector for the benefit of farmer, if it goes directly to the farmer, every farmer would be getting every year around 35,000 rupees. You must do a study on this.
There has to be market linkage. The government has done much by national agriculture market mission but I want, as a son of the farmer, that the farmer must step out of the farmland. Farmer must involve himself or herself for marketing of his and her produce. Farmer should not just be a producer and forget about it.
That would mean he will painstakingly, tirelessly raise a produce and will sell it at a time when it is ripe for market without holding it. He doesn’t gain much financially. You have to empower the farmer by generating awareness, by telling them government cooperative system is very robust. For the first time we have a cooperative Minister. Cooperatives find a place in our constitution. Therefore, what we need is farmer traders, we need farmer entrepreneurs.
Boys and girls and distinguished faculty, you can change that mindset so that a farmer transforms himself from producer to value adder, starting some industry which is based on his produce. If you just look around, farm produce market is gigantic, when value is added to farm produce, industries thrive. Corporates can play bigger role, more and more corporates are entering into agronomy.
I would urge them to share their profits with the farmer. To connect with the farmer, to give back to the farm sector. The connect must be genuine, lasting. I urge the corporates to invest in research and development. Particularly with keeping in mind that value addition must happen at the farmland for the local populace.
We were self-sustaining units thousands of years ago. Why not now? The populace will have quality produce. In conclusion, I must say that I have no doubt and there is no other option also. Agriculture has to play a vital role, if India has to become a 30 trillion economy in 2047, the income has to go eightfold. This is possible, this is achievable.
Our last decade development has shown to the world, India is capable of negotiating developmental journey unknown to history in recent times. Therefore, institutions like this will lead agri-revolution. India’s destiny is rooted in the fertility of our fields, the resilience of our farmers, and the innovation crucibles which institutions like this will make available.
I appeal to those who are involved with this sector to dream big, plan big, have large scale, and achieve it. We have a role model in our Prime Minister, he thinks very big. Toilet for every home. He thinks much bigger, gas connection in every home, Internet connection in every home. Just imagine how things have transformed. I, being a member of Parliament in 1989, a Minister in 1990, I know the difference, the difference is beyond imagination.
I see now all around development I never conceived, never dreamt. Therefore, I carry great hope, optimism, and confidence that institutions like yours will bring about the change the farm sector needs, the country deserves, and the world must acknowledge it because if India gains, the world benefits – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.
