Barabanki, May 22: Progressive farmer and Padma Shri awardee Ramsaran Verma from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, expressed his joy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving the prestigious AgriCola Medal for 2026 from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. He stated that this honor reflects the respect for the country’s farmers, agricultural scientists, and India’s agricultural policies.
In an interview with a news agency, Verma noted that under Modi‘s leadership, Indian agriculture has taken a new direction. He highlighted the benefits farmers are reaping from efforts to promote millets on a global scale, strengthen digital agricultural infrastructure, and encourage natural farming.
Verma emphasized that India’s agricultural policy has become farmer-centric and innovation-based. This shift is why the world is praising India’s agricultural system and Modi’s visionary leadership.
The FAO Director-General, Qu Dongyu, presented this honor to Modi on Wednesday in Italy, recognizing his contributions to farmer welfare, enhancing food security, boosting agricultural productivity, and poverty alleviation.
He commended India’s welfare schemes, noting that free rations are being provided to 800 million people under the food security system, while over 110 million farmers receive direct income support through the PM-KISAN scheme.
The FAO chief also praised India’s initiatives promoting natural and regenerative farming, highlighting the country’s significant role in popularizing nutritious millets internationally. He lauded India’s efforts to promote sustainable agriculture and commended the initiative of the ‘International Year of Millets’ in collaboration with the FAO to elevate the profile of nutritious coarse grains globally.
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