Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu expressed his concern over the degradation of soil due to the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers and stressed the need for creating awareness on this important issue.
He also said unchecked extraction of ground water is fast depleting our groundwater table leading to a reduction in moisture content in the soil, thus turning fertile land into barren land.
Naidu underlined the importance of organic farming for sustainable and stable development.
He said that natural resources such as soil and water are not unlimited and the future of mankind depends on their conservation.
Addressing a gathering after releasing the book titled ‘Bhumi Suposhan’ (soil nutrition) published by Akshay Krishi Parivar in Delhi on Monday.
The vice president underlined the importance of organic farming for sustainable and stable development.
He said that natural resources such as soil and water are not unlimited and the future of mankind depends on their conservation.
He said soil health needs our urgent attention, organic farming is the way forward.
The vice president expresses concern over the loss of fertile soil in large tracts of the country’s soil.
Traditional farming practices can reduce input costs and increase farmers’ income, he said.
The organic farming is particularly beneficial for small and marginal farmers, he said
Naidu asked the parliamentarians, political parties and policy makers to give priority to agriculture.
Mentioning that around six lakh farmers are practicing organic farming on approximately 38 lakh hectares of land in India, Naidu expressed his happiness over the fact that many hilly states successfully adopted organic farming.
He said that the smaller states have shown that organic farming is particularly beneficial to our small and marginal farmers.
He said that there is a growing awareness among the masses about the harmful effects of chemical farming and they are willing to pay for organic products.
Naidu stressed the need for the popularization of traditional farming practices.
He wanted agricultural universities to focus more on organic and natural farming and promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship among the youth.
The vice president said agriculture is not just farmers’ concern, rather all of us are equal stakeholders in its development as food is a basic necessity for everyone.
He urged parliamentarians, political parties and policy makers to give priority to agriculture.
