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PM Modi raises pitch for natural farming methods
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Says it is high time farming is taken out of the chemistry lab and connected with nature’s own laboratory
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised on the need to adopt natural farming techniques to ensure better produce and longevity of soil and health of the people.
Addressing the three day national summit on Agro Food and Processing virtually, the Prime Minister said there is no doubt that fertilisers led to green revolution. But at the same time there was need to keep working on alternatives. Apart from the benefits the society would derive from natural farming, it would also help the country in reducing the increasing cost of import of fertilisers. The summit was attended by nine chief ministers and other ministers.
Modi said it was high time farming was taken out of the chemistry lab and connected with nature's own laboratory.
"Whatever power the fertilisers have can also be found in nature. We just have to explore it," Modi said.
He also lauded the address of Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, who gave details about how natural farming has helped farmers increase their produce manifold in recent years. "Natural farming is based on science," the Prime Minister added. He said that though the world has progressed technologically, it has also been connected to its roots and this should be adopted in farming too.
"From seed to soil, you can treat everything in a natural way. Natural farming does not involve spending on fertilisers nor on pesticides. It also requires less irrigation and is capable of dealing with floods and droughts," said PM Modi.
He added that natural farming will help India's farmers become self-reliant. The Prime Minister, in an outreach to farmers, listed the steps being taken by the government. "Along with agriculture, farmers are constantly being connected with many alternative sources of income like animal husbandry, bee keeping, fisheries, solar energy and bio fuel.
A provision of lakhs of crores has been made to strengthen storage, cold chain and food processing in villages," he added.
Addressing the conclave before PM Modi, Gujarat Governor explained about how earthworms and natural resources like cattle dung, jaggery and others can lead to increase in the nutritional content of the soil and result in increased crop production. He also gave a glimpse about the process to make manure naturally.
During the virtual event, the Prime Minister also released an equity grant of more than ₹14 crore to about 351 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), benefiting 1.24 lakh farmers.
