Mumbai, Sep 14 (Inditop.com) The world has lost the saviour of millions of people from hunger in the death of Norman Borlaug, leading Indian agriculturist B.R. Barwale said here late Sunday night.
Barwale said that Borlaug started wheat breeding in Mexico incorporating Noren gene which dwarfed the wheat plant and made it sturdy.
“These wheat varieties were brought to India and other developing countries by Borlaug and M.S. Swaminathan, when India was a ship-to-mouth country; imported food went direct to the ration shops,” Barwale, Chairman of Mahyco Ltd in Jalna (Maharashtra), recalled.
The varieties Sonora-64 and Lma Rojo revolutionised wheat production in India by increasing it manifold.
“Such high yielding and disease resistant wheat varieties saved several millions of lives, not only in India but many other wheat-growing countries. The country owes Borlaug a deep debt of gratitude,” Barwale, who was awarded the World Food Prize-1998, said.
Barwale recaleld that Borlaug had visited India many times and last year, he toured the dedicated Mahyco Life Sciences Research Centre in Jalna district.
