Warning against dangers of pesticides and imported fertilisers, PM Modi appeals to farmers to adopt natural farming

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 16

Warning against the dangers of pesticides and imported fertilisers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said small farmers, who constitute about 80 per cent of the farmers of the country, will benefit the most from natural farming.

“Those small farmers who have less than two hectares of land. Most of these farmers spend a lot on chemical fertilisers. If they turn to natural farming, their condition will be better,” the prime minister said, addressing the National Conclave on Natural Farming.

Union ministers Amit Shah, Narendra Singh Tomar, Governor of Gujarat, chief ministers of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were among those present on the occasion.

While acknowledging the important role of chemicals and fertilisers in the Green Revolution, the prime minister emphasised the need for working on its alternatives simultaneously.

He warned against the dangers of pesticides and imported fertilisers which lead to increased costs of inputs and also cause damage to health, calling it the right time to take big steps before problems related to agriculture become even worse.

“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,” the prime minister said.

“It means connecting with your roots. Who understands this better than all of you farmer friends? The more we water the roots, the more the plant grows,” Modi said.

“We need not only to re-learn the ancient knowledge of agriculture but also to sharpen it for modern times. In this direction, we have to do research afresh, mould ancient knowledge into the modern scientific frame,” he said.

In this context he also recalled the recent Climate Change Summit, where he called upon the world to make ‘Lifestyle for Environment’, that is LIFE, a global mission. India and its farmers are going to lead in this regard in the 21st century.

“Let us take a pledge to make Ma Bharati’s land free from chemical fertilisers and pesticides in the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence,” he said.

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