John and Margaret Hayman 1966

Farming in Madras, John Hayman (58-61).

Note Ed.: John Hayman and his wife, formerly Margaret Mackay who was a demonstrator in the Plant Science Dept., continue their work in famine wracked India. When we left Lincoln in May 1964 for Madras we knew that food production was one of India’s main problems, but we never dreamed that a crisis of the proportion of the last nine months would develop. Had it not been for the quick and massive aid from the U.S.A. in sending over 10 million tons of grain, mostly wheat, India would have experienced one of the worst famines in history. Fortunately starvation has been avoided but the country has received a great shock. After nearly twenty years of independ- ence and the expenditure of vast sums of money on agriculture and rural development resulting in aerial application of fertilizer, seed and insecticides.