India PM Pushes for Technology-Driven Agriculture

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week made the case for genetically engineered crops as a way to boost farmer earnings and meet increasing demand, according to the Hindustan Times.

According to the article, this is the first time the PM articulated the government’s stand on GM crops, while calling for better research and higher productivity to boost farm earnings.

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The Hindustan Times quoted Modi as saying India should no longer import pulses by 2022. According to the article, the PM called for increasing foodgrain productivity from 2 tonnes a hectare to 3 tonnes, along with a three-pronged farm approach that balanced farming, animal husbandry and tree plantation. “Our average farm productivity comes to two tonnes per hectare against the global average of three tonnes a hectare. We must strive to reach the global level,” Modi said, saying this was necessary to ensure food security for the country’s rising population.

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