Udhampur farmers earning big bucks after PM's talk on organic farming

Taking a cue from their Bageshwar counterparts, farmers in Chaintal village in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district have taken inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words of adopting organic farming and have now joined hands, earning pints of money.

In his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April lauded the efforts of farmers in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district for undertaking organic farming in their area.

The Prime Minister also urged others to take inspiration from the Bageshwar farmers. Further, he said that the income of farmers would be doubled by 2022.

A farmer named Bishan Dass said, "We have started growing different types of vegetables without using fertilisers and pesticides. Earlier, we used to grow seasonal vegetables in 1-2 Kanal of land. But, now by using local and organic fertilisers, we are now growing vegetables in 8-10 Kanal of land and earning double profits."

Dass added that he followed Prime Minister Modi's Mann Ki Baat address on the harmful effects of using chemicals to the crops.

The farmer further said he believed in what he called a "pure organic farming".

A local resident of the village, Ajay Kumar also urged other farmers in Udhampur district to take inspiration from Prime Minister Modi's speech and to follow suit.

An official from the Udhampur Agriculture Department, Vikas Padha said that the farmers at Chaintal village have set an example of adopting organic farming, as they cared about nature.

"Farmers at Chaintal village are earning double of their produce after using organic fertilisers. Chemical fertilisers are harmful and affect our health and crops. The farmers are inspired by Prime Minister Modi and are now considered as their icons. The state agricultural department informed the farmers about the harmful effects of using chemicals and benefits of doing organic farming," said.