Former IAS officer T. Vijay Kumar has been honoured with Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environment Protection of 2023. He is currently the Executive Vice-Chairman, RySS and Ex-Officio Special Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Cooperation Department, Andhra Pradesh. The award was presented to him by Rotary Club of Madras East and Cavinkare Private Ltd on 6th September. Mr. Kumar accepted this award on behalf of the farmers of Andhra Pradesh.

While receiving the award he said 14% of farmers in that State had switched over to natural farming that was backed by science. Thanks to the support of the government, farmers were able to grow three crops a year even in semi-arid and rain-fed areas due to this. The former IAS officer also emphasised on the importance of natural farming, especially in the backdrop of global warming.

He said, “Around 34% of global warming is due to the system of food production and the only solution to this is to mimic mother nature in the way we farm. We have to move away from chemical farming to natural farming. This was enunciated long ago by Professor M. S. Swaminathan.”

Sowmya Swaminathan, chairperson, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Member of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidh, Cavinkare president C.K. Ranganathan, Club president Babu Krishnamoorthy, Secretary Revathi Sanjeev, director (environment) Rajesh S. Sundrani and award committee chairperson Rupa Ramamurthy were present on the occasion.