Maharashtra governor bats for natural farming, warns about health impact of chemicals

Pune, Nov 18 (PTI) Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat on Tuesday said chemical-based farming is having a serious impact on the people's health, and natural farming is an effective alternative to safeguard our future generations.

In future, more than a family doctor, every family will need a farmer who practices natural farming, he said, speaking at the inauguration of a one-day Natural Farming Conference organised at the College of Agriculture here.

Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne and Agriculture Department Principal Secretary Vikaschandra Rastogi were also present on the occasion.

The Governor said that according to a United Nations report, chemical farming may lead to severe consequences in the future. "Microorganisms in the soil transfer nutrients to plants, but chemical farming destroys these microbes, altering soil texture and reducing nutrients in food. Nitrogen in urea generates nitrous oxide, resulting in increasing cases of cancer. Natural farming can provide freedom from these issues," he said.

For natural farming, selection of appropriate seeds, soil mulching and crop diversification are important among other things, Devvrat stated.

Earthworms used in natural farming can drill soil up to 10 feet deep, allowing rainwater to percolate, the governor said, adding that native species of earthworms produces 40,000 to 50,000 offspring in its lifetime.

At the end of their lifecycle, they enrich the soil with 17 essential nutrients, Devvrat stated.

The use of `Jeevamrut' increases the population of soil microbes. he said, adding that it is prepared in five days by mixing dung, cow urine, jaggery, pulse flour and chemical-free soil from under large trees.

"This results in increased yields and more nutritious food," he said.

Chemical farming practices originated in Western countries, Devvrat said, adding that Indian soil once had about 1.5% organic carbon, which has now dropped to less than 0.5%, increasing the risk of soil becoming barren.

Chemical farming is also expensive, leading farmers to indebtedness, the governor noted.

Earlier, farmers preserved traditional seed varieties. If these are not revived, dependence on foreign seeds will increase, resulting in market manipulation. Hence, agricultural universities must conduct more research on traditional varieties to make them resistant to climate change and diseases, he said. PTI SPK KRK