The Hon’ble Prime Minister appealed to farmers to reduce the usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and said it would be a “great step in saving Mother Earth”.
He said soil health is damaged by the way chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used. ‘As a farmer, as a child of this soil, I have no right to damage its health,’ the PM said while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 72th Independence Day. The Prime Minister subsequently called for the adoption of organic and natural farming in a cluster-based approach.
He said ICAR has developed a geo-referenced organic carbon map of India and has identified 88 bio- control agents and 22 bio-pesticides that can promote organic agriculture.