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Dr. Swati Naik is the South Asia Head of Seed Systems and Product Management at IRRI, New Delhi. She became the third Indian to receive the Norman Borlaug Award. The other two include Aditi Mukherjee (2012) and Mahalingam Govindaraj (2022).
Dr. Swati Naik, or Seed Lady (alias Didi), an Indian scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has been awarded the prestigious ‘Norman E. Borlaug Award’ for 2023 for field research and application. Dr. Swati Naik is the South Asia Head of Seed Systems and Product Management at IRRI, New Delhi. She became the third Indian to receive the Norman Borlaug Award. The other two include Aditi Mukherjee (2012) and Mahalingam Govindaraj (2022).
Dr. Swati Naik’s outstanding achievement
The Norman Borlaug Award recognizes Dr. Naik’s pioneering work in establishing demand-driven rice seed systems that involve smallholder farmers, with a particular focus on climate-resilient and nutrient-dense rice varieties. Dr. Swati Naik and her team developed an interesting strategy to establish a drought-tolerant variety of Shah Bhagidhan rice in Odisha, eventually gaining public attention.
This variety of rice led to a major change in rainfed agricultural areas. Moreover, this variety of rice became an integral part of the diet and crop cycle of all farming families. At the same time, Dr. Swati Naik’s hard-working strategy, partnerships, and unique positioning model have successfully cultivated many climate-resistant varieties of rice in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Norman E. Borlaug Award
The Norman E. Borlaug Award is given in memory of Dr. Norman Borlaug, Nobel laureate and chief architect of the Green Revolution. It is presented to exceptional scientists under the age of 40 who are working in the fields of food and nutrition security and hunger eradication.
Life of Dr. Swati Naik
Agricultural Scientist Dr. Swati Naik is a native of Odisha. Naik completed his Bachelor of Agricultural Science at Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University between 2003-2007.
After completion, he did Masters in Rural Management from Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA) between 2008-2010.
He pursued his PhD in Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Management for Agricultural Extension Management Strategy at Amity University from 2017-2022.
First Published: 25 Sep 2023, 13:20 IST
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