Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar has said that Prime Minister has started a nationwide campaign to promote natural farming, and the Central Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department is also going to work in this direction in mission mode.
The committee formed to include the subject of natural farming in agriculture-related courses has also started working. Tomar said that through natural farming, our synergy with nature will increase, which will have huge benefits for the country including increasing employment in the agriculture sector - in the villages themselves.
Union Minister Tomar said this at the inaugural session of the National Workshop on Innovative Agriculture organized by NITI Aayog at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi today. The Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat also participated in the workshop, while the Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala attended virtually.
In technical sessions, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami, and prominent agriculture experts also delivered a speech.
Assessing the bad effects of chemical farming on the environment, the Central Government has decided to promote natural farming. Natural farming is chemical-free and livestock-based, which will reduce the cost, increase the income of the farmers and increase yield and will help in protecting the environment and soil health.
Union Minister Rupala said that due to Corona, the food habits of the people are changing and the demand for organic products is increasing, for which cognizance should be taken. There are many challenges in the field of agriculture and farmers should be encouraged according to the new demand. Rupala said that we have got an opportunity to connect with our traditions through natural farming. This method will prove to be a milestone in making India a world leader.
The Governor of Gujarat, Devvrat said that in natural farming, the plant does not need water, but constant moisture. In this method, about 50 percent of water is used in the first year, and by the third year, about seventy percent of water is saved. In this method of cultivation, bacteria grow in large numbers, which is the lifeblood of farming.
In the end, Dr. Neelam Patel, Senior Advisor (Agriculture), NITI Aayog delivered the welcome address. NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant and Member Prof. Ramesh Chand also addressed. A collection of success stories (Hindi and English) and videos of farmers practicing natural farming were also released on the occasion. Dr. Rajiv Kumar, outgoing Vice-Chairman of the Commission was also present.
