PM Narendra Modi to address farmers on natural farming today

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address farmers during the valedictory session of the National Summit on Agro and Food Processing on Thursday (December 16, 2021) in Anand, Gujarat via video-conferencing.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a release said that the summit brings in focus on natural farming and farmers will be provided with all requisite information detailing its benefits.

The government has been driven by Modi's vision for farmers' welfare, it said. 

"It has been committed towards ensuring an increase in productivity so that farmers are able to maximise their agri-potential. The government has initiated several measures to transform agriculture and increase farmers' income," it said.

According to the release, efforts are underway to promote and support initiatives leading to sustainability of the system, cost reduction, market access and better value realization to farmers.

The National Summit on Agro and Food Processing is being attended by over 5,000 farmers who will be present at the summit, in addition to the farmers connecting live through central institutes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras and ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) network in states.

The PMO said, "zero budget natural farming is a promising tool to minimise the dependence of farmers on purchased inputs and reduces the cost of agriculture by relying on traditional field-based technologies which lead to improved soil health".

Desi cow, its dung and urine play an important role from which various inputs are made on the farm and provide necessary nutrients to the soil.

“Other traditional practices such as mulching the soil with biomass or keeping the soil covered with green cover round the year, even in the very low water availability situations, ensure sustained productivity even from the first year of adoption,” it said.

To emphasise on such strategies and to deliver the message to farmers across the country, the Gujarat government is organising the National Summit on Agro and Food Processing, with focus on natural farming. The three-day summit is being organised from December 14 to 16.

(With PTI inputs)

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