A committee would be setup at the State level in Himachal Pradesh that will give its report after study on zero budget natural farming, Governor Acharya Devvrat said on Tuesday.
Presiding over a meeting with senior scientists of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University at Palampur in Kangra District, he said that recommendation of the committee will be followed so that Himachal becomes natural farming State in the country within next four years.
He said role of Agriculture University Palampur would be crucial in this field to carry forward the critical reform in agriculture sector.
The Governor said that the past practice of chemical farming and organic farming was not fit in present context. “As far as chemical farming is concerned, the products so produced are harmful and poisonous and is also costly. Similarly, cost of production in organic farming is high and it absorbs more essentual nutrients from soil,” therefore, zero budget natural farming is the best alternative for farming, said Acharya Devvrat.
He added that side effects of chemical farming could be dealt with natural farming. He detailed out various reasons and merits of adopting natural farming and latest reports and recommodation of Indian Council of Agriculture Research which was favouable.
Ashok Sarial, Vice Chancellor, Palampur University said the University had identified 25 acres of land for natural farming.