Union Home Minister Amit Shah described chemical fertilizers as the root cause of many diseases and strongly advocated natural farming as a scalable and economically viable alternative for Indian farmers.
Addressing a Farmers’ Conference, Shah said the government is building a “complete system” to support natural farming, covering soil and laboratory testing, certification, packaging, marketing, and exports, aimed at helping Indian farm produce meet global standards.
Emphasizing the health and economic benefits, he said, “Chemical fertilisers are the root cause of many diseases today. Natural farming is an approach that doesn't reduce farmers' income, but instead makes their produce pure.”
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Shah noted that dung and urine from a single indigenous cow can help cultivate up to 21 acres of land. “It (natural farming) increases income, saves water, and relieves people from many diseases,” he added. Shah, who is also the Minister of Cooperation, said nearly 40 lakh farmers across the country have already adopted natural farming, including himself, and asserted that production has increased rather than declined.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established two major co-operative institutions to handle certification, testing in world-class laboratories, packaging, marketing, and export of natural farming produce. He added, “In the coming time, more than 400 laboratories across the country will provide certificates to the farmers, due to which their income will increase by almost one-and-a-half times.”
Referring to the Basaman Mama Cow Project, which he described as a “very good approach,” Shah said integrated cow-based natural farming models can generate incomes of up to ₹1.25 lakh per acre, offering a significant boost for small and marginal farmers.
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