 "GM is not a silver bullet to raise farm income: John Ramsay")
How is climate change affecting the life of farmers and how they should deal with that?
Higher temperatures and variations in rainfall patterns can reduce yields while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Giving growers better access to technology can help farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change. Syngenta is developing hybrids, such as Agrisure Artesian corn that can cope better during extended dry periods, while our seed care products support better root establishment helping plants draw water more deeply from the soil and use this available moisture more efficiently. Non-selective herbicides contribute to conservation agriculture by enabling effective weed control with minimal tillage allowing organic matter to build up in the soil, absorbing carbon dioxide that might otherwise be emitted into the atmosphere.
With the new government focusing on agriculture, are you enthusiastic about the Indian market going forward?
Yes, the statements made in the budget are a clear recognition of the importance this government attaches to agriculture. It also clearly acknowledges what needs to be done in order to enable companies like us to provide support to small holder farmers in India so that they can produce more. If you get the right policy in place, and apply it with perseverance and determination, in time you will see their results filtering down to the ground. It is inevitable.
The government's aim is to double the farm income. Do you feel that is possible?
The key thing is to have the right policies in place to double farmers' income. I feel there is enormous potential in Indian agriculture to produce a lot more in a sustainable manner. If the government continues with this degree of ambition and works with the industry we can together take agriculture in India a very long way.
Would these targets be achievable if focus on GM technology is sharpened?
Syngenta believes that all farmers should be able to choose the best available technologies and prodcts, including biotech crops, to meet their crop production needs in a sustainable way. However, genetically modified (GM) is just one technology in the entire toolbox and not a "silver bullet", so we should not devote all our attention to it. It is certainly an important tool for addressing the challenges like pests, diseases and difficult growing conditions which the farmer faces every day. To counter these he needs a portfolio of technologies and more importantly he needs education on the application of these technologies rather than focusing on just one.
What should be done to help India achieve food security?
In order to achieve food security we need to deal with the twin issues of affordability and availability. This means we need to have the right solutions for resource efficiency and the right production strategy for key crops. Through our Good Growth Plan we want to contribute to India's food security and help farmers meet agricultural challenges in a sustainable way. In order to make a measurable contribution by 2020 we have set ourselves specific targets related to improving resource efficiency, rejuvenating ecosystems and revitalizing rural communities. The Good Growth Plan is particularly relevant to India as agriculture is the mainstay of the country's economy.