Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that the number of people suffering from excessive use of chemical fertilisers will increase by 50 per cent. cancer in the next 10-15 years. Shah also set a target to encourage 50 percent farmers of his Lok Sabha constituency Gandhinagar to give up chemical fertilizers and go for natural farming.
“India’s agriculture is heading towards a dangerous future. The soil in the country is gradually becoming barren due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers. Due to the excessive use of chemicals, the poison has started reaching the underground sources of water. Our grain has already become poisonous, but if water also becomes poisonous in the next 10-15 years, according to the estimates of scientists, the number of people suffering from cancer will increase by more than 50 percent. We have to recognize this danger,” Shah said. He was literally addressing over 1,000 farmers in his constituency.
He said that the lack of periodic review of the ongoing agricultural practices since the Green Revolution has led to the present situation.
Stating that natural farming, which supports the use of dung and urine of Indian cow breeds, is the only way to restore soil productivity, Shah, who is accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat in Gandhinagar was in the Chief Minister’s Office. Said, “In Gujarat, more than two lakh farmers have adopted natural farming and changed farming practices in 2.5 lakh hectares in just two years. This means that the farmers of Gujarat have recognized the profits.”
He said that the water level in the state has gone below 1,000-1,200 feet and natural farming techniques can help reduce water usage by 50 per cent. Addressing farmers in Sanand, Bavla and Kalol talukas, he said, “I have decided as an MP that by 2025 at least 50 per cent farmers of my constituency will be encouraged to take up natural farming.” He asked the officials to set a target to ensure that by the end of 2022, at least 15 farmers in every village of Gandhinagar constituency do natural farming.
At present, natural farming is practiced in about 10,000 villages and the state government has declared Dang as a natural farming district, free from the use of chemical fertilizers.
“Let’s make a start. This is a method shown by our Vedas, Puranas and practiced by our ancestors,” he said. Shah said that Amul would set up laboratories at places where farmers engaged in natural farming would The numbers are high. “These laboratories will certify soil and agricultural produce and provide the Amul brand for marketing the product,” he said.
Shah also unveiled a logo for natural farming for the Gujarat government and inaugurated a mobile application that will connect 100 farmer-producer organizations (FPOs), farmers and customers of natural agricultural products. In addition, he launched an electric vehicle to transport natural agricultural products to Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.
The Union minister, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat on the occasion of Makar Sankranti festival, on Friday visited the Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad to offer prayers.
Governor Devvrat, an advocate of natural farming, also shared his personal experiences with the farmers. He said that natural farming not only helps in reducing water consumption in the fields but also helps in keeping the soil moist and fertile. He advised the farmers not to burn the crop residue and said that it would lead to air pollution and the soil would become barren.
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