REVOLUTIONARY NATURAL FARMING CAN SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE BOTH THE NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FARMERS' FINANCIAL CONDITIONS*, DISTRESSED BY CHEMICAL AND ORGANIC FARMING, ACHARYA DEVVRAT DEVELOPED ZERO-BUDGET FARMING INSPIRED BY FORESTS
Face2News/Chandigarh:
The land of India has become barren due to excessive use of DAP, urea, and pesticides for agriculture. According to Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, the only remedy to restore the fertility of this sacred land is natural farming. Acharya Devvrat, who has become the top expert in natural farming in the country by chance, addressed the media at the Chandigarh Press Club on Tuesday.
Acharya Devvrat, who also runs a Gurukul in Kurukshetra, shared his journey of becoming a natural farming expert with journalists. He revealed that, like ordinary farmers, he used to apply DAP, urea, and pesticides on his farm in Kurukshetra. However, when a staff member became unconscious just from inhaling the toxic gas emitted by these chemical fertilizers, he realized the harm these poisoned substances could cause to the body.
This led him to switch to organic farming, but he found that while it was not poisonous, it was quite expensive and did not yield significant results. He then turned his attention to plants that grow naturally in forests without any fertilizer or water and began experimenting. This led to the invention of Jeevamrit, a type of fertilizer that can be made without any cost using cow dung, essential pulses, jaggery, and earthworms.
He not only developed this process but has also been using it on 180 acres of land in his work area in Kurukshetra for the past eight years. Unlike pesticide-based or organic farming, this method is entirely natural. He mentioned that calling it zero-budget farming is more appropriate.
He claimed that natural farming is so revolutionary that its adoption would not only strengthen the country's economy but also lead to significant improvements in farmers' financial conditions.
He shared that after becoming the Governor of Gujarat, he began promoting this natural farming method there as well. Now, it is being practiced on 752,000 acres across the state, from Kutch to Navsari and Saurashtra, and so far, nine lakh farmers in Gujarat have adopted this natural farming method.
(SUBHEAD)The Governor said that just as India has gained a unique global identity through yoga, it is advancing towards creating a distinct global identity through natural farming. Acharya Devvrat highlighted that many regions in the country are experiencing a decline in water levels, with some areas already in dark zones. If farmers do not switch from chemical farming to natural farming in time, there might be a shortage of drinking water in the future.
Recalling his experiences with natural farming, Governor Devvrat explained that the fertility of the soil has been most affected due to the misuse of pesticides for decades. Any soil with less than 0.5 percent organic carbon is considered barren. Before the Green Revolution, our soil had 2-2.5 percent organic carbon, but now it is only 0.2-0.3 percent. Hence, our soil is essentially barren. Our food crops are receiving very few nutrients from the soil and are entirely dependent on fertilizers. This means farmers are increasingly relying on private players or government subsidies. The Indian government currently spends ₹1.25 lakh crore annually on urea and DAP subsidies, and about 83 percent of Indian farmers are small and marginal, unable to bear the additional costs of production. Therefore, promoting zero-budget farming is the need of the hour.
In response to a question, he mentioned that he has also prepared a curriculum on natural farming for agricultural universities in the country, so that future generations can further promote and spread zero-budget farming.
Acharya Devvrat was appointed as the Governor of Himachal Pradesh by the Modi government in 2015 and was later transferred to Gujarat. Known for his unique thinking, he has transformed the traditional At Home events held at Raj Bhavans on January 26 and August 15 into useful discussions and dialogues.
Acharya Devvrat is also known for his efforts in drug de-addiction and cleanliness campaigns, where he has made a notable impact.
