Journalism of Courage
Natural farming feeds millions and also “protects” people from “deadly diseases caused by pesticides and chemicals”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a conclave on Sunday where he asserted that it is also a means of “economic success”.
Addressing a Natural Farming Conclave organised in Surat via video link, Modi discussed the growth of natural farming in Gujarat and said that the “Surat model” of natural farming could become a model for the whole country.
In Surat, the Prime Minister said, village committees, taluka committees and district committees were formed to select 75 farmers from each village panchayat to get into natural farming. This, he added, resulted in more than 40,000 farmers from over 550 panchayats taking up natural farming in a short span of time.
Modi also mentioned the five-km natural farming corridor being developed along both banks of the river Ganga. Such corridors can also be developed on the banks of the Tapi and the Narmada rivers, Modi said.
He also said that the government linked natural farming with the Namami Gange Programme — the government’s flagship scheme for cleaning up the Ganga.
Modi said that while the whole world is now talking about ‘sustainable lifestyle’, India has had “thousands of years of knowledge and experience” in this area. “We have led the world in this direction for centuries. Therefore, today we have an opportunity to come forward in campaigns like natural farming and take the work of global possibilities related to agriculture to the benefit of all,” he said.
“The country has been working seriously in this direction for the last eight years. Today, farmers are being given resources, facilities and support through programmes like Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and Bharatiya Krishi Paddyati,” Modi said.
The government has also put in place a quality assurance system for the certification of natural farming produce, he said.
“Our farmers are exporting such certified crops at a good price. Today, chemical-free products have become the centre of attraction in the world market. We have to take this benefit to more and more farmers of the country,” Modi said.
Modi also called for more research into India’s ancient knowledge in the field of natural farming, and into ways in which this knowledge can be communicated and implemented as per the demands of modern times.
The conclave was also attended by Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
