Indian economist cites India's sustainable agriculture push as PM Modi receives FAO Agricola Medal
New Delhi, May 21
Chief Economist at ASSOCHAM, SP Sharma, on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with the Agricola Medal by the Food and Agriculture Organization reflects India's growing strength in sustainable agriculture and the impact of reforms undertaken in the sector over the past decade.
Speaking to ANI, Sharma said India's agriculture sector has witnessed significant transformation through policy reforms, digital infrastructure and state-level initiatives.
"We are happy that our honourable Prime Minister received this award, which is the highest award by the FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization," Sharma said.
Highlighting the agriculture sector's progress, he said, "As we are progressing significantly in the agriculture sector and our agriculture is now becoming sustainable, that is on the back of various reforms undertaken by the government during the last many years, supported by digital public infrastructure, then the agriculture cooperation, agriculture transformation."
Sharma further said India's farm sector growth has improved over the last decade compared to earlier years.
"During the last 10 years, our agricultural growth rate has also been very significant as compared with the early decades. So the agriculture sector is becoming stronger and stronger each day, supported by the state-level reforms, and the various effective reforms at the central level," he said.
Calling the recognition important for India as an agrarian economy, Sharma said the award from an international organisation adds significance to the country's agricultural progress.
"This is a great achievement because we are an agrarian economy. So this becomes more important that we are recognized by the International Prestigious Organization with this award," he added.
Prime Minister Modi was conferred the FAO Agricola Medal on Wednesday at a ceremony held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation headquarters in Rome by FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu.
The Prime Minister said he dedicated the honour to India's farmers, livestock rearers, fisheries workers, scientists and innovators, calling them the backbone of the country's food security system.
The Agricola Medal is one of the FAO's highest honours, awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to global food and agriculture systems.
PM Modi received the award during the final leg of his five-nation tour, which included visits to the UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive achievement. I've been following India's agricultural reforms, and the focus on climate-resilient crops and soil health cards seems to be making a real difference. Good to see international recognition for these efforts.
Great to see India's sustainable agriculture getting global recognition. But let's not forget the real backbone - our farmers who work day and night 🌙. Hope this award translates to more support for small farmers on ground level. Digital infrastructure is good, but cost of inputs still high for many.
Really happy for our farmers! 🌾 The fact that PM mentioned they are the backbone of food security shows they are finally getting their due. The organic farming push in states like Sikkim and Madhya Pradesh is a great example of what we can achieve.
As someone who works in agri-tech, I can see the transformation first-hand. India's digital public infrastructure for agriculture is quite innovative - from eNAM to soil health monitoring. The question is how quickly this can scale to reach smallholder farmers effectively.
Good recognition but let's be realistic - many farmers in Punjab and Haryana are still struggling with debt and water scarcity. We need more than awards, we need concrete solutions for ground water depletion and fair MSP implementation. Still, it's a step forward.
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