Gujarat aims to triple natural farming area in 7 yrs

Gandhinagar: With global demand for natural farming products growing amid increased awareness of health hazards caused by chemical fertilisers, Gujarat govt has set an ambitious target of increasing the area under natural farming to at least 10% from the present 3% by 2030 and 25% by 2047. Sources in the state govt said that apart from conducting educational programmes to encourage farmers to adopt natural farming techniques, govt aims to use technologies like GPS, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), drones and more. "This approach aims to improve the use of resources, enhance crop productivity and promote increased sustainability in farming practices," a source said. In addition to providing a conducive environment to adopt natural farming, the state govt is working on a holistic and sustainable approach, where agri produce through natural farming methods is more readily available to consumers.Natural farming integrates five main principles — bijamrut (seed treatment), jivamrut/ghanjivamrut (natural liquid fertiliser), mulching, waaphasa (soil aeration) and symbiosis. Indigenous cows and their dung play a vital role in this method. "The state govt has implemented a scheme providing Rs 900 per month, amounting to Rs 10,800 annually to each farmer to promote natural farming. So far, 1.86 lakh farmers have benefitted and received around Rs 592 crore in assistance," sources said. South Gujarat's Dang district has been declared a completely chemical-free district. The local administration provides financial support of Rs 20,000 annually to farmers, capped at two hectares, to encourage natural farming practices. A total of 16,188 farmers have received this benefit. An organic certification drive has also been initiated for Dang's farmers, with an investment exceeding Rs 10 crore. According to the agriculture department officials, 82 farmers' produce organisations (FPOs) are dedicated to natural farming to ensure market support and value addition. In all, 56.17 lakh farmers have been trained in natural farming and 9.85 lakh farmers are practising natural farming on 8.45 lakh acres of land in the state. Sources said the network of 224 agriculture produce market committees (APMCs) and 10,477 primary agricultural credit societies (PACs) will also be used to promote natural farming. Despite these efforts, the state's processing capabilities remain limited. Current processing rates stand at merely 2% for fruits and vegetables, 8% for marine products, 35% for milk and 6% for poultry products.
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