Zero budget natural farming successful on large-scale too: Himachal Governor

Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat on Tuesday said the zero budget natural farming technique has been successful even on a large-scale too and is a perfect example for increasing farm income.

He said Himachal Pradesh has also adopted this model with a budgetary provision of Rs 25 crore for this fiscal to give it a practical shape.

Devvrat, who participated in a national conference on zero budget natural farming organised by the NITI Aayog in New Delhi, said the challenge before the country is to double the income of farmers in such a way that fertility of the soil improves along with increase in production of the crops.

"It is not possible with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The only alternative with the farmers is to adopt zero budget natural farming which is successfully tested in the field," he said, according to a statement.

At the conference, he shared his experience of his Gurukul in Haryana's Kurukshetra where he had successfully adapted natural farming in about 200 acres.

Devvrat said training camps are organized in Himachal Pradesh in a big way and farmers are shifting to natural agriculture.

Natural farming is a practical method and would not only benefit small and marginal farmers, but also the medium and large farmers could successfully adopt it at no cost. It also protects soil from degradation, helps in retaining soil fertility and is climate-change resilient, he added.

As per available data based on scientific research, he said by adopting this farming method, the cost of production of farmers could be reduced and their income enhanced.

The Governor thanked the NITI Aayog for considering natural farming as a component of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and hoped that it would be helpful in promoting natural farming in a right direction.

--IANS

vg/vd