Natural Farming Means Farming in Harmony with Nature: Dr. Karnatak

Udaipur – A three-day special training program was inaugurated today at the Directorate of Research, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur, under the National Mission on Natural Farming, to promote sustainable agricultural practices among government officials.

More than 30 officials from 12 districts of the Department of Agriculture, Government of Rajasthan are participating in the training. While inaugurating the program, Hon'ble Vice Chancellor Dr. Ajit Kumar Karnatak stated that the main objective of natural farming is to reduce farmers' dependency on external agricultural inputs. He noted that the Government of India aims to reach at least 10 million farmers with this mission.

Dr. Karnatak emphasized that if 2% of conventional farming is converted to natural farming annually, the target of 20% can be achieved in 10 years. He also stressed the importance of certification of natural products, highlighting that while the Green Revolution increased yields, the excessive and indiscriminate use of chemicals had a negative impact on nature and human health. He further noted the need to find alternatives to compensate for initial yield reductions during the transition to natural farming.

Director of Research Dr. Arvind Verma shared that Udaipur has been chosen as the top center in the nation for such training programs due to extensive research conducted on organic and natural farming at the center. He mentioned that the training includes lectures and hands-on practical sessions to enable broader adoption of natural farming practices.

Guest of Honour Dr. R.A. Kaushik suggested that natural farming should be expanded beyond staple crops to horticultural crops, as fruits and vegetables show higher potential for positive results under natural farming systems.

Training Coordinator Dr. Ravikant Sharma outlined the training format and expressed gratitude to the dignitaries for their presence.

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