Experts in innovative agriculture and natural-farming practices from India and abroad will participate in a national workshop on innovative agriculture being organized by Niti Aayog today.
The workshop will be addressed by Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Parshottam Rupala, and Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat.
Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar and his successor-designate Suman K Bery will also be present.
A former Director-General of the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Bery takes over as Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman on 1st May after Kumar relinquishes the charge on 30th April.
The national workshop will deliberate on the promotion of natural farming, its role in soil health restoration, and climate change mitigation.
Natural farming practices are in harmony with principles of agroecology advocated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). It offers viable solutions to improve the livelihood of farmers while reducing the environmental impact of chemical agriculture.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized the importance of natural farming on various occasions. Most recently, during a national conclave on natural farming on 16 December 2021, he urged that natural farming be turned into a mass movement.
The 2022–23 Budget too announced the promotion of chemical-free natural farming throughout the country, starting with fields within a 5-km wide corridor along the Ganga.