PM Modi in Coimbatore
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is on the path to becoming a global hub of natural farming, asserting that the agriculture sector has undergone a major transformation over the last 11 years and that agricultural exports have “almost doubled”.Addressing a gathering in Coimbatore after releasing the 21st instalment of PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi, PM said natural farming is a subject “very close” to his heart. More than Rs 18,000 crore were transferred to the bank accounts of nine crore beneficiaries under the scheme.
Extending his appreciation to Tamil Nadu farmers for hosting the South India Natural Farming Summit, he said, “I extend best wishes to all farmers of Tamil Nadu for organising the wonderful South India Natural Farming Summit.” Further talking about his interactions the PM added, “I was watching the exhibition. I received the opportunity to speak to several farmers. Someone had pursued Mechanical Engineering, PhD and was then doing farming, someone was doing farming by leaving NASA, they are preparing and training several youth. I accept this publicly, had I not come here to this event, I would have missed a lot in my life. By coming here today, I have learnt a lot. I salute the courage of farmers of Tamil Nadu, I salute their strength to accept change.”PM Modi said India’s agricultural landscape is evolving and the youth are increasingly seeing farming as a modern and scalable career path. “India is on the path to becoming a global hub for natural farming. Our biodiversity is taking a new shape, the youth of the country are seeing agriculture as a modern, scalable opportunity. This will give a major boost to the rural economy of the country,” he said.Highlighting policy interventions in recent years, he added, “In the last 11 years, there has been a massive transformation in the entire agriculture sector of the country. Our agricultural export has almost doubled. To make agriculture modern, government has thrown open all paths to support the farmers.”PM Modi also talked about maintaining soil fertility amid increasing demand for agricultural products saying, “In recent years, the increasing demand for agricultural products has led to a rapid rise in the use of various chemicals in the sector. As a result, soil fertility is deteriorating, and the cost of farming is escalating. The solution lies in adopting crop diversification and natural farming practices. To restore soil fertility and enhance the nutritional value of crops, we must embrace natural farming methods. This approach is not only a necessity, but also a part of our vision for sustainable agriculture.”On a sidenote, as the Prime Minister noticed two girl students waving placards praising him, he asked security personnel to bring the placards to him, and lauded the students.Before the address, PM Modi inaugurated the South India Natural Farming Summit and interacted with local farmers. He also inspected an exhibition displaying agricultural products and plant growth demonstrations, accompanied by Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi.The summit, being held from November 19 to 21, has been organised by the Tamil Nadu Natural Farming Stakeholders Forum. It aims to promote sustainable, eco-friendly and chemical-free farming, and to accelerate the shift towards natural and regenerative agriculture as a climate-smart and economically viable model. It will also focus on creating market linkages for farmer-producer organisations and rural entrepreneurs, while showcasing innovations in organic inputs, agro-processing, eco-friendly packaging and indigenous technologies. Over 50,000 farmers, practitioners, scientists, sellers and stakeholders from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are expected to participate.Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited Andhra Pradesh to participate in the birth centenary celebrations of Sri Satya Sai Baba. Addressing the gathering, he said that devotion without service, knowledge without compassion, and action without societal contribution hold no meaning. Go to Source