Prime Minister Narender Modi pleaded the farmers across the nation to adopt zero- budget natural farming as a people movement to liberate agriculture from the clutches of the chemical and fertilisers Raj for making India a self-reliant, healthy and vibrant to show a way to world.
Prime Minister also urged to the entrepreneurs to invest in the organic and natural farming products in a big way as the big bazaars of organic and natural farming await them in view of the heightened concern over the global warming and climate change in which India can take a lead.
Addressing a gathering of “over eight crore farmers linked from different parts of the country to the Farmers Conclave of the Pre-Vibrant Gujarat in Gujarat today, Prime Minister cited examples of Gujarat and Himachal states, where the farmers have adopted natural farming in a big way getting good results.
At least, one village in each panchayat should try this low cost farming through proper training. Each farmer can practice it on a small piece of land, using natural manure cow’s urine, dung and other techniques to make it successful that will help increase their income and keep the cost very low, Modi said
Modi said the role of Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), Vigyan Kendras, Agri universities and other institutions will increase now for taking research from lab to land. The institutions should work on this, taking natural farming to more and more farmers in the country as it would increase the income of over 80 per cent farmers, who have small land holdings, Modi said.
Pointing out the menace of rice stubble burning, Prime Minister said when you burn or heat the soil it loses its fertility and it is a tested truth as earth becomes brick by burning soil. It is a myth that farming without chemicals is not feasible. Truth is otherwise as the history is a torch-bearer as it has been demonstrated by lakhs of farmers in the country, he said.
Invoking Mahatma Gandhi Modi said in era of Global warming and climate change “where exploitation takes place, there can be no “poshan” and to forget own motherland is to forget ones own self”.
Prime Minister said lakhs of farmers in Gujarat and Himachal, are harvesting gains from natural farming. “We need to adopt climate life style for mitigating global climate change and I have said this at Climate Change Summit”, he said.
In his "back to basic" mantra that modern world is adopting, Modi invoked wisdom of Athar Veda and Rig Ved, Tamil literature and several ancient texts. He said they should pay heed to the scientific heritage of ancient researchers that the micro nutrients that farmers get from chemical fertilisers also can come from soil itself by treating it in a scientific and natural way by using Gobhardhan and waste products for mulching of land using best practices of natural farming.
Prime Minister gave a brief account of the initiatives- soil heath cards, seeds, PM Kisan Nidhi yojna, increase of 1.5 time in MSPs, irrigation network, Kisan Rail. Animal husbandry, fisheries, biofuel, storage, CAS food chain for the farmers.
He thanked the Governor of Gujarat Acharya Devvrat who simplified the natural farming through his own experiment.
He said they appreciated the role of chemical fertilizers that brought about the Green Revolution in the country, but the big question today is: “when soil gives in, weather does not favour, water is less and cost of production is higher, then in this case, natural farming is the answer”.
He said cost of the chemical and fertilisers has gone up as these are imported that need million of rupees. These brought about Green revolution, but it is also true that cost of production goes up, so are the expenses of the farmers, he pointed out.
