Natural farming need of the hour, says NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant

A farmer sprinkles medicine on a field near Yamuna River in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: Prateek Kumar

Natural farming is the need of the hour as the cost of production of foodgrain has increased due to the use of chemicals and fertilizers, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said on Monday.

Addressing the ‘National Workshop on Innovative Agriculture’ organised by NITI Aayog, Mr. Kant further said India is now an exporter of wheat and rice.

“Natural farming is the need of the hour and it is important that we identify scientific ways through which we can ensure farmers can directly benefit from it, thereby increasing their income,” he said.

“The cost of production of foodgrain and vegetables rose due to excess use of chemicals and fertilizers,” Mr. Kant added. Natural Farming is a chemical-free farming method. It is considered an agroecology-based diversified farming system which integrates crops, trees and livestock with functional biodiversity.

Also, speaking at the event, NITI Aayog member (Agriculture) Ramesh Chand said there are many methods of natural farming that can be adopted, such as organic farming, diversification and agroecological farming.

“Through our shared experiences, it’s crucial to understand the pros and cons of each of the methods,” he added.