Time to help the farmers

 

 

“Budgetary Sops…” and “Monopolising Seeds of Despair” by Dr Vandana Shiva (TSI, Feb 23-March 1) focused on a very pertinent issue of agriculture which generally fails to attract the editors. There can’t be any doubt that seed monopoly has destroyed biodiversity but the silver lining is that the farmers in many places had gone back to traditional technology with emphasis on organics. Notwithstanding the perilous effect of seed monopoly on Bt cotton, there has to be a remunerative market policy to save the farmers as Dr Swaminathan has put it, “Look after the price and the farmer will look after the production”. There has to be a sustainable balance between traditional and modern technology with the farmers being the decision makers with a right over their own seed varieties.

Sudipto Dev Ray

Silchar, Assam