Special focus will have to be laid on decreasing the production cost and increasing the yield in order to achieve the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to double the income of farmers by 2022. Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said this after inaugurating a workshop on zero-budget Natural Farming here on Thursday.

Rawat said that agriculture is the main source of livelihood in India. About 64 per cent of the population is dependent on agriculture. The Palekar Farming model can be helpful in reducing production cost and increasing yield especially in the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand where natural farming can be quite effective. Steps have been taken to minimise the use of chemicals in farming. The skill development and agriculture departments will also provide training in natural farming. Stating that the Palekar model had been successful in Himachal Pradesh, Rawat said that it will be studied in detail and that a committee will be formed for this under the chief secretary.

Noted agriculturist Subhash Palekar stressed on the need for special focus on natural farming instead of traditional or chemically affected farming. The cost in natural farming is negligible while it is also an optimum method to maintain soil fertility and gain clean nutritious food. Stating that industry and chemicals in agriculture are a major cause for global warming, he said that natural farming should be taken up as a mission.

Later, in the evening while meeting Palekar and others at his residence, Rawat said that Palekar’s suggestions for encouraging natural farming in the state will be followed as they are in the state’s interest. Workshops will be organised soon to raise awareness on this. He also directed that a committee headed by the chief secretary should soon prepare an action plan for implementation of the suggestions. He also directed departmental officers concerned to attend the workshops to be held in Shimla and Maharashtra on the subject to gain detailed information and facilitate the linking of farmers with this. Palekar referred to the rich biodiversity of Uttarakhand and stressed that linking forests with farming will enable optimising natural farming. He said that natural farming helps avoid diseases, enhances income sources with better marketing and will help in environmental conservation, socio-economic change and preservation of traditional agriculture. He assured the CM of all possible assistance in this regard. Chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary Om Prakash and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.

Friday, 21 June 2019 | PNS | Dehradun

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