Winner announcement Blog for Suggest a Tagline for Natural Farming Competition
Natural Farming is an agro-ecological approach where farming system integrates natural biodiversity, encourages soil’s biological activity through complexity of living organisms both plant and animal and create an ecosystem to thrive along with food production system. In Indian context natural farming is based on plant diversity, soil aeration, biomass recycling through mulching, soil rejuvenation through use of indigenous cow’s dung and urine based microbial formulations and plant protection through on-farm botanical concoctions in exclusion of all chemical inputs. Natural farming in India also prohibits use of any form of purchased inputs, chemical, organic or otherwise.
The major advantages of adoption of Natural Farming are : (i) Freedom to farmers from purchased inputs, (ii) There will be reduction in cost of cultivation with better economics, (iii) Helps in leveraging cow’s soil rejuvenation potential (iv) Sustained productivity with enhanced quantity and quality, (v) Resource conservation (mainly water) and increased cropping density through multiple and multilayer farming approach, and (vi) Healthy soil, healthy environment and healthy food for animals and human beings.
Natural Farming has also been identified as a promising tool to minimize the dependence of farmers on purchased inputs and also to restore the soil health. It emphasizes on shift of agriculture practices from mono-crops to diversified multi-cropping system. Cow dung and urine play an important role from which various inputs such as Beejamrit, Jivamirit and Ghan-Jivamrit are made on the farm and are the source of nutrients & life to soil. Other traditional practices such mulching the soil with biomass or keeping the soil covered with green cover round the year, even in the very low water availability situations are added practices which ensure sustained productivity even from the first year of adoption.
In pursuance of Hon’ble Prime Ministers vision for promotion of Natural farming, Finance Minister in her Budget speech of 2022 emphasized the need to promote agro-chemical free Natural farming in 5 km corridor along river Ganga in the first stage and bring necessary revision in the syllabi of agricultural universities. The recent Budget Speech by Finance Minister envisaged facilitation of 1 crore farmers to adopt Natural Farming in next three years. For this, 10,000 Bio-input Resource Centres are to be set-up. Government aims to implement self-sustaining natural farming system through a National Mission on Natural Farming.
In view of above, it is earnestly appeal to the farmers to adopt this eco-friendly way of farming, in order to sustain soil health and produce healthy food. Farmers may initiate natural farming in a part of their holding and expand it further depending on the benefits accrued. Also, the R&D organisations are advised to develop area and crop specific Natural Faming technologies packages.
A Tag Line Contest for NATURAL FARMING was launched on MyGov.in during January 14th to April 14th ,2022.
Comment Id No.2374 || Name: Sh. Mohammad Shahjade.
Tagline: “स्वस्थ माटी- संपन्न किसान”
Congratulations to the winners!
