'Recognition of India's farmer-centric policies': Padma Shri awardee hails PM Modi receiving FAO's highest honour
Barabanki, May 21
Padma Shri awardee and progressive farmer Ramsaran Verma on Thursday expressed happiness over Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving the highest honour of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, the 'Agricola Medal' for 2026, and said the recognition also belongs to the country's farmers, agricultural scientists and India's farmer-centric policies.
Verma said the honour reflects the growing global recognition of India's agricultural system and the efforts being made under Prime Minister Modi's leadership to strengthen the farming sector.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu presented the prestigious award to Prime Minister Modi for his contribution towards farmers' welfare, food security, agricultural productivity and poverty alleviation.
Reacting to the development, Verma added that under the Narendra Modi government, Indian agriculture has received a new direction with a strong focus on innovation, sustainability and farmers' welfare.
He highlighted that the Indian government's welfare initiatives are benefiting the crores of people across the country.
"Under the food security system, free foodgrains are being provided to nearly 80 crore people, while more than 11 crore farmers are receiving direct financial support through the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme," he said.
The farmer from Barabanki also added that India's efforts to promote millets globally, strengthen the digital agriculture framework and encourage natural farming practices have significantly benefited farmers and enhanced India's image on the global stage.
"India's agricultural policy has now become farmer-centric and innovation-driven. This is the reason why the world is appreciating India's agricultural system and Prime Minister Modi's visionary leadership," Verma said.
He added that the FAO Chief also praised India's initiatives to promote natural and regenerative farming methods and acknowledged the country's contribution in popularising nutrient-rich millets at the international level.
According to Verma, the recognition by the FAO is not only an honour for Prime Minister Modi but also for India's farming community, scientists and policymakers who have worked towards making the country self-reliant and globally respected in the agriculture sector.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I'm happy for the recognition, I wish they had also focused more on small farmers like my uncle who still struggles with irrigation costs. Awards are nice but ground-level issues like MSP and water access need more attention.
Good to see India taking leadership in millets promotion. I work in nutrition policy in Canada and we're looking at Indian millet models for our own food security programs. The world can learn from India's farmer-first approach!
I live abroad but follow Indian agriculture news. The free foodgrain scheme reaching 80 crore people is massive! My parents in Bihar still benefit from it. Feels good to see India getting global applause for feeding its people.
Natural farming push is the right direction. My village in Punjab has seen 30% reduction in input costs since adopting these methods. But we need more training centers - many farmers are still skeptical about leaving chemical fertilizers.
Interesting perspective. I'm an ag economist from Australia visiting India now. The digital agriculture framework mentioned is indeed impressive. India's approach to integrating tech with traditional farming could be a model for developing nations everywhere.
Congratulations to PM Modi! As a farmer's daughter from AP,
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