Organic farming training to begin at Fatehabad village

In a step towards safer and more sustainable farming, the farmers of Gorakhpur village in Fatehabad district have decided to adopt organic and poison-free agriculture. On Friday, a village-level meeting was held wherein this major shift was announced, and a plan was made to begin formal training for the organic farming.

The key speaker at the event, agriculture expert Dr Baljit Singh Bhyan, explained how heavy use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers not only increased the cost of farming, but also damaged human health and the environment. “Not all insects are harmful to crops. Due to misleading promotions by pesticide companies, farmers often spray unnecessary chemicals,” he said. “This reduces soil fertility and increases health risks,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bhyan urged farmers to switch to zero-chemical farming, while assuring them that full training would be provided to adopt this practice in phases. He said, “The goal is to help farmers grow healthy, high-quality crops at lower costs while protecting nature.”

Also present at the meeting were Shamsher Arya, president, Gaushala Union, Dr Ramesh Kumar, and organic farmers Sukhbir Siwach, Jagdish Zaildar and Surajbhan. All stressed on the urgent need to initiated this change and support it at the grassroots level.

In a unanimous decision, the farmers agreed to begin a permanent training school from Sunday, which would be hosted at the farm of Fakirchand, one of the leading farmers in the village. Dozens of farmers, including Vinod Kumar, Nihal Singh Siwach, Dhoop Singh, Phool Kumar, Surender Singh, Miltu Ram, Jasmat and Jaibir Singh, committed to participate in the programme.

At the end of the meeting, Dr Balbir Singh thanked all attendees and highlighted the deeper meaning of the movement. “Only natural living and farming can give humans a truly healthy, happy and peaceful life,” he said.