National Workshop on Natural Farming

3rd December 2022, Gwalior
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the National Workshop on Natural Farming today at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Gwalior.

While addressing the workshop, Shri Tomar stated that agriculture plays an important role in our country, it is not just limited to livelihood but it is a responsibility for providing enough food for all. The Minister accentuated that today our country has become self-sufficient in agriculture and India is able to provide food to other countries as well. Shri Tomar said that the soil fertility is reducing due to chemical farming as useful microbes are being killed. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is encouraging the Natural Farming and given the form of a mass movement, he added.
Shri Tomar noted that natural farming is the need of the hour as the cost is less and the produce fetches more price. He accentuated that the time is now to switch from chemical farming to natural farming. He emphasized on the need is to follow the principles of healthy mind, healthy food, healthy agriculture and healthy human being. For this, he said one should move towards natural farming.
The Union Minister said that as there are Krishi Vigyan Kendras in every district of the country, so natural farming will be initiated first in Krishi Vigyan Kendras. He further stated that Natural Farming methods will soon be included in agricultural education curriculum.
Shri. Bharat Singh Kushwaha, Minister of Horticulture, Madhya Pradesh stated that government is giving emphasis towards Natural Farming. He exhorted that Natural faming needs to be promoted to maintain human & soil health. It also promotes animal husbandry as animal husbandry is an important component in natural farming, he added.

Dr. V.P. Chahal, DDG (Agriculture Extension), ICAR stated that the Prime Minister has given the responsibility to promote natural farming among the farmers of the country to Krishi Vigyan Kendras.
He said in a two-day training in Kurukshetra for subject matter experts of Krishi Vigyan Kendras, master trainers will be trained to support and train the farmers to promote natural farming and solve the problems faced by them in the farm itself.
Special Guest Dr. Anupam Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Manipur stated that this is the first time that this type of national level workshop for natural farming is being held across the country involving KVK Subject matter experts and progressive farmers from more than 400 districts of the country.
Dr. Arvind Kumar Shukla, Vice-Chancellor, RVSKVV, Gwalior, M.P. stated that Natural farming is practiced in our country since time immemorial, for example shifting cultivation in North-Eastern states. He urged that agricultural scientists have to work with farmers to find solutions and develop varieties that are essential for natural farming.
Earlier, Dr.S.R.K.Singh, Director, ICAR-ATARI, Jabalpur in his welcome address this workshop it will encourage the farmers all over the country to do natural farming.
Directors of ATARIs and scientists from 425 KVKs with 20 elite farmers practicing natural farming across the country and 300 farmers from were participated in the programme.
(Source: Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute, Jabalpur)