Kolkata:
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar came together in Kolkata to initiate a green revolution in the eastern states of Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and eastern UP. Their initial budget is Rs 400 core and their model: China.
In China, one hectare of land yields 6.6 tonnes of rice while in India, it is 3.3. China has 30 million hectares under paddy cultivation whereas India has 45. China produces 200 million tonne of rice per year as compared to India's 150.
"We should understand the Chinese experiment and whatever corrective measures are possible to take in our own country, we should try to implement," said Sharad Pawar, Agriculture Minister.
The secret of China's success: hybrid rice seeds on which it began work in the early '60s. Bt rice is part of its seed basket. But in that India is still not ready to follow China.
"Bt rice is not yet examined and cleared by concerned ministry of the country. As of today, we have not cleared BT rice. China has done some work on it but we are very cautious," said the Agriculture Minister.
A central task force will promote hybrid rice and ensure farmers get seeds cheap. If the country is to be fed in 2030, the green revolution in the east is not an option but an imperative.