In Natural Farming cost is less and yield more – Agriculture Minister Tomar
Efforts will be made to include Natural
Farming in agricultural education curriculum soon – Union Minister Shri Tomar
Union Agriculture Minister addresses the National Workshop on Natural Farming
in Gwalior
Union Minister
for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar has said that Natural
Farming is the need of the hour, in which the cost is less and the produce
fetches more price. Natural Farming will now be part of the agricultural
education. The government is making efforts in this direction to include soon
the natural farming methods in agricultural education curriculum. Shri Tomar
said this as the chief guest at the National Workshop on Natural Farming in
Gwalior, organized by the Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute
(ATARI), Jabalpur and Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University,
Gwalior.
Shri Tomar said that there was a time when there was a
shortage of food grains compared to India’s population. Then a
production-oriented policy was made by moving towards chemical fertilizers, due
to which production increased and today we grow food grains in surplus, but now
once again there is a need to groom ourselves, so that the future is assured
and there is harmony with nature. This is not only our concern but the whole
world is seized of the issue. Shri Tomar said that today the need is to follow
the principles of healthy mind, healthy food, healthy agriculture and healthy
human being. For this, one should move towards natural farming. Natural Farming
is the farming of perfection. Livestock has an important contribution in this.
The dung and cow urine of a native cow is sufficient for a common farmer to
work in natural farming. If the country adopts natural farming, then cows will
not be seen on the roads, but they will be used properly. Now the country is
moving in this direction. 100% natural farming is being done in Dang district
of Gujarat. In Himachal too, farmers are fast moving in this direction. M.P.
has planned it in 5,000 villages.
Shri Tomar said that Agriculture has an important place
in our country. It is not only for livelihood, but also everyone's need. The
farmer does not work only to get livelihood from agriculture, but he does
farming to feed over 130 crore people of the country. He said that today India
has become a country which provides food grains to the world. Today many
friendly countries of the world look towards India that if the food production
in India is good, then India will help us in bad times. The farmers have the
responsibility of the country and the world also. Shri Tomar said that the
fertility of the soil is weakening due to chemical farming. Friendly bacteria
are being killed. Every year we are increasing the need of the soil for
fertilizers. It is our responsibility to save the country from the crisis that
it is going to face after 25 years, that is why Prime Minister Shri Narendra
Modi re-launched the natural farming method and it is being given the form of a
mass movement.
The Union
Minister said that along with this the Government of India is making efforts to
increase the income of the farmers. The MSP has been increased one-and-a-half
times, while crores of farmers are being given Rs. 6,000 every year through the
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. So far, more than Rs 2.16 lakh crore has
been deposited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. Under the
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Rs 1.24 lakh crore was given to the farmers
in lieu of crop loss. Farmers have been disbursed Rs. 18 lakh crore through the
Kisan Credit Cards. Farmers meet. The Central Government is making every
possible effort to empower the farmers.
In the programme, Madhya Pradesh Minister of State for
Horticulture and Food Processing, and Narmada Valley Development, Shri Bharat
Singh Kushwaha; Dr. Ved Prakash Chahal, Deputy Director General (Agriculture
Extension), Indian Council of Agricultural Research; Dr. Arvind Shukla, Vice
Chancellor of Rajmata Vijayaraje Agricultural University, Gwalior; Director of
ATARI Jabalpur, Dr. Shyamranjan Singh, along with public representatives and
scientists-officers were present.