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NEW DELHI: Natural farming, different from commercial farming, can be given a chance now because there is no serious threat to food security given that India is a food surplus nation now, according to federal policy think tank NITI Aayog’s member Ramesh Chand.
According to Chand, natural farming, a chemical-free traditional approach to farming, can be adopted in steps, NITI Aayog said in a statement on Tuesday.
The time is ripe to encourage natural farming and shared experiences of states on this front will help build a robust roadmap to adopt innovative agricultural practices in the country, the statement said quoting NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar.
NITI Aayog has released a compilation of stories of natural farming from 13 states across the country at an event held on Monday, as per the statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been promoting natural farming as it minimises dependence on purchased inputs, reduces the cost of agriculture and helps maintain soil health. Traditional methods like using biomass and having a green soil cover round the year for sustained productivity are employed in natural farming. It also prevents chemical contamination of ground water.
Natural farming is the need of the hour and it is important to identify scientific ways so farmers can be assured direct benefits from natural farming and higher incomes, the statement said qoting NITI Aayog chief executive officer Amitabh Kant.