Organic Farming: Farmers are now adopting the mantra of organic farming and natural farming to prevent the increasing cost of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the damage to the environment. Technical and financial help is also being provided by the Central and State Governments in this work, but the farmers believe that it is too little to compensate for the initial loss, because leaving chemical farming completely organic farming or natural farming is the beginning. There are many risks associated with production. To get good production from this model, investment of time in farming is very necessary and farmers shy away from taking this risk, so farmers are hopeful that in the Union Budget 2023, financial assistance will be taken from the government to promote eco-friendly farming. The amount of help should be increased.
The advantage of this will be that farmers will be helped to increase the area of тАЛтАЛorganic farming and natural farming by doing farming at low cost. Of course, there may be some risk of production in the beginning, but with the increase in financial assistance, the morale of the farmers will also increase.
These days the demand for organic fruits, vegetables and grains is increasing in the country and abroad, whereas the area under it is 40 lakh hectares. The government is also focusing fully on natural farming, whose area is currently limited to 8 lakh hectares. If it is to be promoted, then it is very important to guarantee economic security to the farmers.
This is also necessary because the damage in agriculture has increased due to the adverse effects of climate change. Many farmers are leaving agriculture and joining other activities. In the era of modernity, they are migrating to cities for jobs.
Meanwhile, saving agriculture alone is a big challenge, executing the future plan for the betterment of soil and human health is also a big task in itself, which can be made easier by giving economic and technical support to the farmers.
Natural farming should not remain only in words
Experts say that in the past, the government has increased the subsidy rates on fertilizers, which is benefiting the farmers and it has become easier and cheaper to use chemical fertilizers in farming, so the farmers are adopting organic farming and natural farming. Why would you take the risk?
If farmers have to be linked to the model of organic and natural farming, then going beyond speeches, they will have to think about providing subsidies, incentives and technical help, because at present there is a concern in the minds of farmers about reducing production from organic-natural farming.
Of course, science refutes many concerns, but it is not easy for farmers to adopt eco-friendly farming without financial support. If help is announced in the Union Budget-2023 to adopt traditional agricultural methods, then the farmers themselves will come forward and start joining it.
This model can help
For information, let us tell you that under the Central Government’s Traditional Agriculture Development Scheme, natural and organic farming is being promoted in the country. There is also a provision of assistance of Rs 12,200 a hectare under the sub-scheme Zero Budget Natural Farming of this scheme, which is given for 3 years.
Along with this, if the government works on the natural farming model of the Haryana government, then natural production can be increased in the country. In fact, in order to increase the area under natural farming, the Haryana government has announced compensation in case of loss for 3 years.
In such a situation, when the loss will be compensated through incentive, subsidy or compensation, then the farmers will also come forward to adopt natural farming without worry.
The need for branding of organic-natural products
According to the Business Line report, the Ministry of Agriculture has launched the National Mission on Natural Farming, but the proposal of Rs 2,481 crore is yet to be approved for its implementation.
Explain that this mission is to be implemented from the current financial year till 2025-26, whose target is to connect 7.5 lakh farmers with chemical-free natural farming in 7.5 lakh hectares. Under this scheme also, there is a provision of assistance of maximum Rs.15,000/hectare to the farmers on the basis of loss in income (by 2025-26) after switching to natural farming.
Officials say that it will take at least 4 years to enroll 7.5 lakh farmers, as the entire process of capacity building of farmers, formation of clusters, certification of natural produce and organizing them as FPOs is time consuming. It takes time.
Branding will also be needed to increase public confidence in natural and organic products, irrespective of certification. Like today only organic products with good branding are exported abroad.
If natural farming is also to be made global, then emphasis will have to be laid on branding and value addition for its export, so that people do not have any confusion in their minds, prefer the produce in the market, so that farmers can get good prices. This will help in increasing the area under natural farming.
Disclaimer: Some of the information given in the news is based on media reports. Farmer brothers, before implementing any suggestion, do consult the concerned expert.
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