PM Modi envisions second green revolution in eastern states

Making an appeal to agricultural scientists to take their research from laboratory to the field, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday envisioned "second green revolution" in the eastern states.

"I can see clearly that the second green revolution will take place from eastern states like Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam, and eastern Uttar Pradesh," the Prime Minister told a function of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in Patna.

Emphasising on taking research from lab to land, Modi exhorted agricultural scientists to give a report to him in six months identifying priorities needed to be given for fast pacing the farm growth.

"As agricultural land is shrinking, there is a need to increase per acre productivity through newer research in the field of agriculture," Modi said and urged the agri scientists of the country to help this happen.

He said that his government's priority was to usher in four-prong revolutions in tune with the four colours -- saffron, green, white and blue in the national flag. He, however, in a lighter vein said people might derive different meaning from saffron revolution (colour of BJP flag), but it meant revolution in the field of energy.

While green revolution meant increase in farm productivity, white revolution that in milk productivity with emphasis on animal husbandry and blue revolution stood for harnessing water resources and fishery, he said.

"Despite having vast water resources, Bihar is bringing fish worth Rs 400 crore every year from Andhra Pradesh, which can be changed by developing fishery in the state," he said.

The Prime Minister rewarded agricultural scientists and mediapersons both in print and electronic for remarkable work in the field of farm sector. Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh were present on the occasion.

The Prime Minister gave some examples of how productivity could be increased by applying science in the farm sector and also by identifying areas in which farmers' income could be increased by adopting scientific innovations.

He said there was tremendous scope of increasing farmers' income through honeybee production which had a huge global market.

"At present, five lakh farmers are engaged in honeybee production which could be expanded among five crore farmers who could gain tremendously by lucrative price in international market," he said.

Besides, the humming of honeybees would keep away the elephants who ruined the produce in the field, Modi said, adding that likewise, there was a huge scope for developing natural fruit juice. Modi also emphasised on changing architecture of canals for greater utility in farming.

He said that scientists should help the country to end import of farm produce in a phased manner.

Thanking farmers for responding to his emphasis through his programme "Maan ki Baat" on cultivation of pulses and oilseeds, Modi said "I have been told that cultivation in pulses and oilseeds has doubled now."

Laying stress on farm research coming out of labs to field so that farmers could have first hand experience of their study, he said "in the labs you could convert a chiku into a coconut, but such research would not be of much help unless and until it comes true in the field." The Prime Minister expressed happiness about responding to his call that foundation day celebration of ICAR should take place outside Delhi so that people in other areas could benefit from it.

Agricultural scientists from across the country were present at the function.