“A committee would be set up at the State level that will give its report after study on zero budget natural farming,” said Governor Acharya Devvrat while presiding over a meeting with senior scientists of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University at Palampur in Kangra district today.
He further added, “Recommendation of the committee will be followed so that Himachal becomes a natural farming State in the Country within next four years. The role of Agriculture University Palampur would be crucial in this field to carry forward the critical reform in the agriculture sector.” He appreciated the efforts of scientists of Agriculture University Palampur in the field of natural farming and urged that they should take lead to make Himachal a natural farming State after Sikkim. He asked them to extend missionary support to this project.
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The Governor said that the past practice of chemical farming and organic farming was not fit in present context. “As far as chemical farming is concerned, the products produced are harmful and poisonous and is also costly. Similarly, the cost of production in organic farming is high and it absorbs more essential nutrients from the soil, therefore, zero budget natural farming is the best alternative for farming, “said Acharya Devvrat. He added that side effects of chemical farming could be dealt with natural farming. He detailed out various reasons and merits of adopting natural farming and latest reports and recommendation of Indian Council of Agriculture Research which was favourable.
Prof. Ashok Sarial, Vice Chancellor, Palampur University welcomed the Governor and said that as per his guidelines, the University had identified 25 acres of land for natural farming. Shri Ashok Kumar Sharma, OSD to VC, Shri Satish Kumar, Registrar, Dr Atul, Director Extension, Dr R.S.Jamwal, Director Research, Dean, Head of the departments and other senior scientists were also present in the occasion.
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