Grow vegetables, fruits: rice breeder tells Punjab farmers

With underground water table declining, international rice breeder Dr G S Khush today asked Punjab farmers to cut down area under water-guzzling rice and switch over to vegetable and fruit crops.
Punjab-born Khush, who has bagged several awards including World Food Price in 1996, also batted for genetically-modified (GM) crops and stressed on entry of private players' participation in marketing of crops.
"We cannot completely get out of wheat and rice. But we have to reduce some area under rice. We have to diversify into crop like vegetables and fruits which are suitable for Punjab," Khush said, while participating in the four-day agriculture summit here.

"There is a great demand for vegetables in Middle East, Europe, etc and farmers should go for these crops," he said.
However, he said farm scientists are working on reducing water consumption level in rice crop.
Because of "overexploitation of underground water by state farmers for watering rice, the water level in several blocks in Punjab has reached critical level".

During his 35 year career at International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, Khush spearheaded the programme for developing high-yielding disease- and insect-resistant varieties of rice which ushered in green revolution.
More than 300 rice varieties developed under his leadership were released in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Acknowledging that marketing of crop was a major problem the farmers faced, Khush said that private players should be encouraged to market crops grown in India.
"Marketing is a big problem here. Private sector and private entrepreneurs should be come in this space," he said.
Batting for GM crops, Khush said that after carrying out proper testing, the crops should be allowed to grow.
"GM crops are very safe. You have seen how Bt cotton has helped farmers and we have become net exporters of cotton," he said.