Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, on Friday, emphasised the need to promote natural farming practices. He said that the Central government was considering offering subsidies to encourage natural farming methods.
The plight of marginal farmers in India is an urgent issue that demands immediate attention. These farmers, who own or lease less than one hectare of land, represent over 65 per cent of the farming community.
Lakhimani Murmu is an active member of Maniyardi Kadamjharna SHG (self-help group) in Maniyardi Village of Binpur, Jhargram. Lakhimani lives in a mud house surrounded by forest, with her husband and two sons.
The key to a satisfactory food and farming system is to bring together and promote at the same time the four most important concerns of protecting livelihoods, environment, biodiversity, and food safety.
In eastern Uttar Pradesh, the examples set by several women farmers, working on small farms and helped by the Gorakhpur Environment Action Group (GEAG), has inspired several others.
The Prime Minister addressed a Natural Farming Conclave via video conferencing. The conclave, organised in Gujarat's Surat witnessed the participation of thousands of farmers and all stakeholders who have made the adoption of natural farming in Surat a success story.
He said that a fund of Rs 82.83 crore has been approved for this by the Central government for 35 districts of the state under the centrally-funded scheme of Bharatiya Prakritik Krishi Paddhati.
As the number of food consumers was much larger than the number of corn farmers, Mexico’s government decided in favour of joining NAFTA. Soon over a million farmers were driven off their land and the rush of displaced farmers to cities also led to fall in industrial wages. What was worse, even promises made regarding cheaper food to consumers were not fulfilled. Instead of declining, the price of staple food increased steeply.
Studies indicate that soil in tropical regions has a poorer Carbon retention as compared to the temperate region. Stubble burning, scientifically, adds to this carbon content, but results in increased air pollution in the atmosphere.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, the Prime Minister said, "We should remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi Ji who mentioned, 'jahan shoshan hoga, wahan poshan nahi hoga'. Therefore, we are here to reduce the decades-long burden on our 'annadatas'."
