- By Aalok Sensharma
- Thu, 16 Dec 2021 01:58 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Delhi | Jagran News Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday pushed for natural farming in the agricultural sector, asking all states and union territories (UTs) to make organic farming a "mass movement". Speaking at the National Conclave on Agro and Food Processing, PM Modi urged farmers to avoid chemicals fertilisers, noting that the government has to spend a lot on the import of compost.
In his first interaction with farmers following the Centre's decision to repeal the three contentious farm laws, the Prime Minister noted that cow dung and urine can be used to increase productivity. He also said that stubble, which leads to air pollution in Delhi-NCR, can also be used as manure.
"The time has come to shift our focus from 'Chemistry lab experiments' to natural farming methods in the agriculture sector to support our environment. We have to take our agriculture out of the lab of chemistry and connect it to the lab of nature. When I talk about nature's laboratory, it is completely science-based," PM Modi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"Natural farming will benefit country's 80 per cent small-scale farmers the most. These farmers have less than 2 hectares of land and spend a lot on chemical fertilisers... but using natural fertilisers will benefit them," PM Modi added.
Amit Shah, who is also India's Cooperation Minister, who was also present at the event, said the Centre is making efforts to establish labs to audit land and certify organic products "so that farmers get more prices" as he pushed for organic farming.
"We are trying to establish a laboratory in the country that will audit land and certify organic products so that farmers get more prices. Amul and others working on it. This will encourage organic farming," ANI quoted Shah as saying. "From 2019 onwards, PM Modi has appealed to farmers for organic farming...such as manure out of cow dung improves land fertility...Organic production is the need of the hour".
The three-day summit on natural and zero-budget farming commenced on December 14 and is scheduled to conclude on December 16.