Gujarat Governor Devvrat Bats For Natural Farming To Save Environment, Boost Farm Income

Cabinet, chaired by PM approved launch of NMNF as centrally sponsored scheme under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare with outlay of Rs 2,481 Crore.

Gandhinagar:Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat appealed to farmers to take up "natural farming", which reduces the cost of production without compromising on the output and can be a way forward towards a better environment and prosperity.

Behind the Centre's recently launched National Mission for Natural Farming (NMNF) is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to save the environment, keep people healthy and ensure prosperity for farmers, Devvrat told PTI. The cultivators who want to turn their land fertile for the coming generations and save underground water should practise this method of farming, he said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a very clear idea about natural farming that we have to save Mother Earth, save the environment, keep people healthy and keep the path of prosperity open for farmers. He is clear about this and worries about farmers all the time," Devvrat said when asked about the launch of the NMNF.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Modi, on November 25 approved the launch of the NMNF as a standalone centrally sponsored scheme under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare with a total outlay of Rs 2,481 crore.

"Organic farming and natural farming are completely different. In natural farming, there is no need to bring inputs from outside, the cost is almost negligible, and the production will not be less. In organic farming, if inputs are brought from outside, then the production is not complete, the cost is also not less, the hard work also does not reduce," he said.

"Therefore, I would request the farmers of India to return to natural farming and join the PM's mission so that you can contribute to the development and progress of this nation and society and you also get benefit," he said.

In his message to farmers, Devvrat said they can give fertile land to the coming generations, save underground water for them, and the air can become pure and people can have good health if they adopt natural farming, which is done only with cow dung and urine. For such a practice, no external input is required, and the cost is almost negligible, he said. If done properly, the production will also not decrease, he added.

Devvrat said when he had become the governor of Himachal Pradesh, he decided not to sit in the Raj Bhavan but take up campaigns for public welfare. Ever since he became Gujarat's governor in July 2019, he decided to continue with his social work, with a special focus on natural farming. With the NMNF in place, the Gujarat government has set a target to take the mission in the state on a fast pace, he said.

He sat down with the state agriculture minister and senior officials "to work day and night and conduct the training of natural farming for the farmers continuously."

Both PM Modi and Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah have inspired farmers and other stakeholders to take up natural farming, as a result of which the Gujarat government has continuously supported the campaign, with lakhs of farmers in the state adopting this method, he said.

The governor said when MS Swaminathan launched the 'Green Revolution' in the 1960s, the soil organic carbon content in the country was 2 to 2.5 per cent, which has today come below 0.5 per cent after the extensive use of urea, DAP and pesticides.

"Swaminathan had then recommended 13 kg nitrogen per hectare, and only that much quantity helped in sharply increasing the production. Today even when we put 13 bags (of nitrogen) in one acre, production is not going up," he said. With the land turning barren, farmers are forced to incur higher cost even when the production is not rising, Devvrat said.

"This has also led to groundwater depletion. Along with this, we are taking slow poison in our food. This leads to weakening of organs and our capacity to fight diseases," he said. In his role as the Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, the university founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, Devvrat has involved students to spread knowledge of natural farming among farmers across 14,000 villages in the state.

"There was a tradition in Gujarat Vidyapith for the students to go on 'gram jeevan yatra'. We have made this journey practical -- the 1,400 sons and daughters who study there were taught natural farming for six days," he said. "Thereafter, these students spread out to 14,000 villages in six days to work on the theme of 'natural farming'," the governor said.

The students were inspired and created a practical connection with the yatra, Devvrat said. Devvrat said even in his interactions with students during the yatra, he puts forward this knowledge to them so that they develop a connection with India's culture, tradition and family life.

"There is a continuous effort to connect children with the Indian culture, civilisation, tradition, family life and the thoughts given by our ancestors, and to become a part of the development of the nation," he said.