Union Home Minister Amit Shah has strongly advocated for natural farming, calling chemical fertilisers the main reason behind many health problems. He believes natural farming not only boosts farmers’ earnings but also helps save water and improves public health. Mr. Shah was speaking at a Farmers’ Conference in Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
He explained that the government is creating a comprehensive system for natural farming produce. This system will cover everything from testing the soil and the crops in laboratories to certifying the products and packaging them. The aim is to ensure that India’s natural farming products can reach global markets effectively, as there is a growing demand worldwide.
“Chemical fertilisers are the root cause of many diseases today,” Mr. Shah stated. “Natural farming is an approach that doesn’t reduce farmers’ income, but instead makes their produce pure.” He added that natural farming is an old practice that people had forgotten over time. He mentioned that the dung and urine from just one indigenous cow can help cultivate about 21 acres of land. “It (natural farming) increases income, saves water, and relieves people from many diseases,” he further emphasised.
Mr. Shah, who is also the Minister of Cooperation, shared that around 40 lakh farmers in India have already started practising natural farming. He has personally adopted these methods on his own farms and found that production has increased, not decreased.
To support this initiative, the Ministry of Cooperation has set up two large institutions. These organisations will handle the certification of natural farming produce, conduct tests in modern labs, and manage packaging and export. Mr. Shah mentioned that more than 400 laboratories across the country will soon be able to provide certificates to farmers. This certification is expected to help farmers increase their income by almost 1.5 times.
The Minister also highlighted a specific project in Rewa, the Basaman Mama Cow Project. He described it as a “very good approach” and noted that a complete range of natural farming methods based on cow dung has been developed there. This method can generate an income of up to Rs 1.25 lakh per acre, which he believes will greatly benefit small farmers.
Basaman Mama is a local folk deity in the Vindhya region, who is said to have sacrificed his life to protect the environment in the 8th century. Mr. Shah visited the project and praised its importance.
Several other leaders, including Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, and Minister Prahlad Patel, were present at the event.