Kalam For Jatropha Revolution In Punjab!!!
To cure illness one has to take full course of antibiotics otherwise bacteria strains develop resistance and become more lethal.
So we have to administer full doze of antibiotics to clean “Harmful Bacteria” in our government and administration. Last month when I raised the
issue of jatropha poisoning in Vigyan Bhawan and talked of better alternatives, I was told:
· Final decision is yet to made about jatropha cultivation.
· Jatropha will be introduced in wastelands and no fertile irrigated cultivable land will be brought under jatropha- including Punjab.
· But the president extorted Punjab farmers to grow jatropha.
Friends, here in the message you can read Punjab equaled world record Cotton yield in village but you are not told the same village also raise
second high crop yield of wheat or potato or sunflower etc. which very few countries in the world get.
I did experiments in 92-95 and raised record crops but did not get any support from the government and industry.
Obviously India could double food production in just 4-5 years or even earlier but how president assumed that it could only be achieved by 2020 and not earlier when 50% above state average yield was achieved in only 2 years. Average crops yield in rest of
the country is a third or fourth of Punjab so much easier to double yield and production in a couple of years is possible whenever India need it.
Agriculture is completely neglected and in the clutches of moneylenders and commission agents. Value additions in agriculture is 100% and employ 700 million but get only $25b bank credit but industry that have low value additions comparatively and employ only 25 million, get $300b bank funding and support.
The only connectivity people of India needs are “Bank Credits For Agriculture & SMEs”. And government should stop corruption-oriented programmes.
A village in Punjab got Rs. 1 crore but all villages need Rs. 1 crore and India has the resources but only interested in wasteful River Linking projects.
First we need our country to free from hunger and corruption.
Ravinder Singh
Kalam asks Punjab farmers to usher in second green revolution
Staff Correspondent
Go in for extensive farming of Jatropha, says the President
· Cotton growers achieve world record
· Rs. one crore announced for Bhatinda village
· `Village adoption programmed successful'
CHANDIGARH: The President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has exhorted Punjab farmers to usher in second green revolution by making use of technological advancements, value addition and extensive marketing network to achieve the target of producing 400 metric tonnes of food grains by the year 2020.
Presiding over a village adoption programme by a consortium of textile mills at Gehri Buttar village in Bathinda district on Saturday afternoon, Dr. Kalam said that the first Green Revolution in the 1950s and 60s was primarily aimed at making the country self- reliant in food production.
Enterprising skill
The President said that the second revolution should focus on matching the food production with agro-processing to make it more technology and knowledge intensive. He appreciated the enterprising skill and stamina of the Punjab farmer whose tremendous capacity to meet any sort of challenge made him vibrant in nature.
Pivotal role
Dr Kalam applauded the pivotal role of the farmers in the cotton belt of the Malwa region of the State, especially in the adopted villages where a yield of 828 kg of cotton per hectare was recorded against the State wide average of 584 kg. Underlining that the achievement had almost equalled the world record, he said that as the partnership
of farmers, agricultural scientists and extension personnel of Vardhman group had really proved to be effective, this model should be replicated across the nation.
"Many pearls make a garland. You have made many beautiful pearls. The radiance of Gehri Buttar is seen in every one of the pearls. If you can provide connectivity - the physical, electronic and knowledge connectivity between the pearls you will make a beautiful garland. That garland will be a symbol of our prosperity. That will economically empower all of you,'' Dr. Kalam said.
During a brief interactive session, the President commended the cotton growers of this belt for successfully increasing the cotton productivity. He impressed upon the farmers to ensure that the cotton grown in the area should be converted into fibre, fibre into fabric and finally
fabric into garment to ensure overall development and prosperity in this cotton belt.
Dr. Kalam also urged the farmers to go in for extensive farming of Jatropha for the bio-diesel as the Government of India had already given its nod to encourage its cultivation as an alternate source of petroleum products.
Speaking on the occasion, the State Finance Minister, Surinder Singla, commended the efforts of the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, for the diversification of agriculture and championing the cause of peasantry. He announced a grant of Rs. one crore on behalf of the Chief Minister for the development and creation of requisite infrastructure of Gehri Buttar.
Earlier, in his welcome address Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Vardhman
Group of Industries, S.P. Oswal, said that the consortium launched the village adoption programme in 2003 for the first time when it adopted Naya Pind on experimental basis and it proved to be a success story. The entire programme had been successfully implemented with close coordination and participation of the specialists from the Punjab Agricultural University and the State Agriculture Department.
Yahoo! Shopping
Find Great Deals on Holiday Gifts at Yahoo! Shopping
Offline 
Send Email