Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-21

AACNC' IlldI IIIcy Cdu get bumper
crops from good seeds properly
planted. fortified, weeded and
watered.
This country has more land
going down in production, or
going completely out Of pro-
duction." says a United States
Department Of Agriculture Off
cial now in India. than it has
new farm land coming into pro-
duction under the big irriga-
ton projects"
KnOw-HOw Available
Improved seeds are being
supplied. but they frequently
are planted improperly. Fer
tilizer often is spread too thin
and its effect lost.
II the Indians with the
know-how could be persuaded
to get their hands dirty by 60
ing out and showing the farm
ers in their fields, Americans
in India are convinced, greater
strides IN agricultural produc-
ton could be made. Some are
convinced India even could be-
come a food exporting nation.
Americans find. for instance,
q surprising underestimate
among Indian agriculture off,
cials Of the native intelligence
and skills Of the villager. The
teachers have been overtaken
by defeatism.
Beef Banned to Most
India has 200 million head
OF cattle and about as many
other types Of livestock, roam
ing the nation. Cattle still are
considered sacred by many VII
layers. Slaughtering them Is
considered sinful and eating
beef is forbidden to the vast
majority.
The cows are not fed enough
to give milk; they subsist
throughout their Is II year
life span at the point Of star
walton, cluttering midas road
system and nibbling pastures
that would be better used in
other ways. They provide some
draft power. but only q frac-
ton Of the livestock population
could handle all these chores.
They also produce excrement
which is an important fuel in
India. and this is the main
justification Indians use for
tolerating them.
midas leadership has yet to
tackle the problem Of educat-
ing the people to the facts
about cattle. Neither Prime
Minister Nehru nor any other
politician is willing to chal-
lenge what is regarded as a
touchy religious issue.
Even If eating habits could
not be changed quickly to add
beef to midas food supply, de-
velopment Of a dairy industry
could add Importantly to the
nations diet.
Water Big Problem
Water has been another ma
1or problem in India. The lead
ership has been keen to develop
irrigation and this already has
helped boost agricultural pro-
duction. One Punjab villager
reported proudly that his grain
production had quadrupled this
year. thanks to the new canal
watering his lands. He expect
ed another quadrupling with
fertilizer.
But the Indian villager has
much to learn about using the
water he gets. To begin with,
the system by which he pays
for his water encourages waste.
Peasants are charged not for
the amount of water they use,
but for the number of acres
they water. This encourages
water hogs and wrecks crops
and land in the process.
In the late 18th and early
goth centuries the United
States developed an agriculture
al extension service with coun-
ty agents to spread the word
about scientific farming. Land
grant colleges merged academic
and practical farming.
Now American aid Is helping
India to establish colleges on
the land grant pattern, with
the same aim in view.
Tomorrow: A pilot poultry
v1ra 4onf