Farmers demands Biotech Technology to increase Productivity of Indian Agriculture

·        Farmers’ states that five members of TEC fail to recognize the significant contribution of technology in Indian agriculture

·        Thousands of agitated farmers protested demanding latest technologies

·        TEC recommendations are against farmers’ progress

New Delhi, 22 August 2013: Thousands of farmers from across India protested against the recommendations of the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) and demanding latest technologies in Indian agriculture today at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The rally led by the Consortium of Indian Farmers Association (CIFA) had participants from Shetkari Sanghatana, PAU Kisan Club, Naujawan Kisan Club, Nagarjuna Rythu Samakhya, Pratapa Rudra Farmers Mutually Aided Coop. Credit & Marketing Federation, amongst other leading farmer organizations.

Chengal Reddy, Secretary General of CIFA said, “Farmers confronts with several farm productivity challenges i.e lack of timely farm labour availability, high labour costs, insects, weeds, diseases, unpredictable water and nutrient availability. Biotechnology or Genetically Modified crop can offer us several solutions to farmers’ problems. We need biotechnology and the right to choose and freedom to farm. We have full faith that the Supreme Court will do what is right for farmers who are in need of technologies to increase our productivity and personal prosperity.”

The farmer organizations stated farmers across India believe that the five members of the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) have failed to recognize the significant contribution of technology to Indian agriculture and economy.

Farmers in other parts of the world now enjoy the benefits of seeds with built-in protection against harmful insects, herbicides and weedicides, enabling farmers to efficiently get rid of weeds while spraying herbicides which retain a healthy crop. They are able to grow crops with less water, use fertilizer and nitrogen more efficiently, which gives an advantage in times of climate change, erratic weather and scarce irrigation.

Dinesh Govindrao Sharma, Leader, Shetkari Sanghatana said, “With increase in our agricultural production and population of the economy, the amount of land on which farmers

cultivate their crops has not increased. The amount of water which they receive to nourish these crops has further also not increased. Over the next decades, climate change will result in more pressure on farmers to get a good yield, with unpredictability in weather playing havoc with India’s agricultural system.”

Agriculture contributes about 13.7% in India’s GDP and employs about 51% of India’s population. Consequently, the majority of India’s poor also reside in the rural areas of the country. To improve the poverty line of economy, they need to increase agricultural productivity and agricultural income. The mode to increase productivity is through the use of technology which will be beneficial for Indian farmers.

PS Pangli, Secretary, Punjab Agricultural University Kisan Club said, “Technology has benefitted the country in many ways, be it Information Technology, manufacturing or communications. It would be unfair to deny India’s farmers the benefits of biotechnology, and it would be unfair to the nation to prevent its farmlands from prospering more.”

India needs to grow more, to ensure that every citizen can eat a nutritious meal, and every farmer can prosper. Indian agriculture needs to grow to remain competitive in a world economy, and to become an exporter of food to the world.

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For further details please contact:

Neeraj Shorya, 9310333595, neeraj@impactpr.in

Parul Kohli, 8010133598, parul@impactpr.in