Budget pushes 'zero budget' farming, Himachal guv already a fan

Around the time Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman was presenting her Budget in Parliament on Friday, Himachal Pradesh Governor Devvrat was in Mandi district, talking to farmers about Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF).

As it happens, the Budget mentioned the Centre's decision to encourage the ZBNF -- low-cost agriculture which shuns farm loans and the use of chemicals.

The governor said he was at a ZBNF awareness camp at Mandi's Tattapani village, 50 km from here, when the announcement was made.

Responding to the finance minister's proposal, the governor said the ZBNF would not only make the produce "poison-free" but also help double farmers' income by 2022.

Devvrat had himself adopted the practice on 200 acres of Gurukul School in Haryana's Kurukshetra about nine years ago, when he was the principal there.

He drew inspiration from Padma Shri recipient and agriculturist Subhash Palekar.

After remaining the principal of the school for about 35 years, he is currently its patron.

He has been spreading awareness about the ZBNF in Himachal Pradesh since he became governor of the state on August 12, 2015.

The state government has already kept Rs 5 crore for spreading awareness among farmers about it.

"The ZBNF preserves fertility of the land. It saves water and help reduce global warming," the governor said.

He said around 4,000 ZBNF awareness camps had already been held in Himachal Pradesh.

Around 2,700 farmers in the state had adopted the practice, he said, adding that around 50,000 Himachal farmers would be encouraged to adopt the practice this year.