He was delivering a lecture on the contribution of farmers of India in providing food security, to mark the 79th birthday felicitation of Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajashekaran.

“Those who advocate an exit policy for farmers — saying that they should sell off their lands — should also propose an entry policy for them, that ensures a livelihood without their land. The need is for a programme on the lines of China’s Township and Village Enterprise (TVE),” Swaminathan said.

Beneficiaries
Lamenting that farmers have become “beneficiaries” in the government vocabulary, the Rajya Sabha MP said it was unfortunate that the country that witnessed the green revolution was now going through an age of farmers’ suicides and agrarian distress.

Agrarian hotspots
Calling for the adoption of technology to increase agricultural productivity, Swaminathan said the Union Government had identified 31 districts across the country as agrarian hotspots.

Around Rs 16,000 crore is expected to be invested in these districts on projects including Special Agricultural Zones (SAZs).