Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday encouraged farmers to create a "new green revolution" in India by embracing natural farming methods, pointing out that the abuse of artificial fertilisers is wreaking havoc on the quality of land, water, and human health.
He claims that the misuse of chemical fertilisers is making farmland infertile, and that adopting natural farming practices is essential for restoring soil quality, increasing agricultural productivity, and ensuring farmer prosperity.
After unveiling the Gujarat government's project for natural farming's logo, mobile app, and e-vans to market goods cultivated using natural farming practices through a network of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Shah was virtually addressing farmers.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recognised chemical fertilisers as a big concern and began searching for ways to minimise their usage while also attempting to boost agriculture productivity, cut water use, and provide wealth to farmers. "Let us usher in a new green revolution via natural farming, which maintains and conserves the land for the next many years rather than destroying it." Natural farming is the only way to do this," he stated in a video interview with farmers in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, which he represents.
Natural farming, which is mentioned in historical literature, is crucial for the country's future, according to the cooperation minister. "Natural farming is critical for India now, but I believe the entire globe will have to adopt the natural agricultural practices that our country pioneered." The value of the desi cow (which plays a key role in the natural agricultural process) will have to be accepted by the entire globe," he remarked. Gujarat's FPOs would serve as a link between customers and farmers. Following certification, these organisations will deliver agricultural food to customers. He claims that this will be the country's first system of its kind.
PM Modi expressed his delight at being named its brand ambassador, saying, "I am confident that India's embrace of natural agricultural practices will show the world the way." Following the green revolution, the misuse of chemical fertilisers resulted in a number of negative consequences, which only grew worse due to a lack of assessment every ten years. "India's agriculture is becoming infertile due to the abuse of chemical fertilisers, and chemicals have seeped underground," he added, adding that this will increase the number of cancer patients in the future years.
Shah added that experts have validated that adopting natural farming restores the soil quality and makes it more fertile, enhances productivity, decreases water consumption, and makes farmers rich, pointing out that Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat also worked in the field of natural farming.
He claims that over two lakh farmers in Gujarat have adopted natural farming over 2.5 hectares of land in the previous two years. "Gujarat's farmers have recognised the advantages of natural farming and have begun to use it... We are on the verge of a major disaster if 'annadatas' (food providers) do not consider the future, the country, and the environment," Shah remarked.
He said that as a Member of Parliament from Gandhinagar, he has made it his mission to convert at least half of the farmers in his area to natural farming.
Gujarat should also create preparations to guarantee that farmers receive the highest possible return on their natural farming products, because only then would they be more inclined to do natural farming, he added.
According to him, the Union Cooperation Ministry has tasked Amul (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd) with establishing laboratories in regions where farmers practice natural farming in order to certify the land and output, as well as establishing a marketing chain. The minister expressed confidence that food grains grown naturally will fetch twice the minimum support price (MSP) in India and on international markets. "Natural farming will become popular if we achieve it in this way." There's no reason why farmers shouldn't go to natural farming if they can obtain the appropriate output at the right price," Shah added.
