World Food Prize, 2014
Indian scientist Sanjaya Rajaram has won the prestigious World Food Prize, 2014, considered the Nobel prize of food and agriculture, for his contribution to developing high-yield wheat cultivars ‘Kauz’ and ‘Attila’.
The wheat varieties produce at least 15% higher a yield than any other type, by holding more grains on each stalk, and are currently cultivated over more than 40 million hectares across the world.
Rajaram is the seventh Indian to win the prize, instituted by agriculture scientist Norman E. Borlaug in 1986. He is now owner and director of research and development for Resource Seed Mexicana (RSM), a company engaged in the development and promotion of wheat varieties in Mexico, India, Egypt and Australia.