B. R. Barwale
B.R. Barwale began farming on his family's land in India in the 1950s, experimenting with a high-yield okra hybrid given to him at the World Agricultural Fair in New Delhi. He cultivated the higher efficiency seeds and began to sell them to area farmers for an affordable price. This was the beginning of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co. (Mahyco). Mahyco expanded to a network of farmers producing new seed varieties of several different crops.[1] By providing assistance and guaranteeing loans for farmers cultivating Mahyco's seeds, Barwale's team was able to gain valuable feedback on various crop strains and make subsequent improvements to their yield and quality.[2] Barwale was awarded the World Food Prize in 1998 for his work in providing affordable, high yield seed varieties and agronomic training to farmers across India.[3]
References
- ^ "B. R. Barwale: Seeds Of Change". Bloomberg Businessweek. 1999-06-14. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
- ^ "Honour for a 'seedsman'". Frontline. The Hindu. 1998-04-24. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
- ^ "1998: Barwale". The World Food Prize. Retrieved 2012-05-13.