POONAM
BHOPAL: It is necessary to encourage farmers to promote natural farming. Additional Chief Secretary Agriculture Shri Ajit Kesari said this during the signing of MoU between Farmers’ Welfare and Agriculture Development Department and IDH (India) to establish Regenerative Agriculture in Mantralaya today. Director Agriculture Smt. Preeti Maithil and Operational Head of IDH Jasmir Dhingra signed the MoU.
ACS Shri Kesari informed that the main objective of the MoU is to increase the income of the farmers and to encourage the farmers for natural farming. The current use of chemicals can be controlled by natural farming. According to the MoU, the period for the programme has been fixed till March 2026. The main components of the MoU are Production, Protection and Incorporation. Emphasis will be given on increasing productivity in production, crop diversification, climate resilient agriculture for farmers. In conservation, work will be done for soil health, water-conservation, management, biodiversity and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Inclusion includes increased income and livelihood diversification, building a value chain for the product and access to the market, and ensuring the participation of women and the community.
Director Agriculture Smt. Maithil informed that Lauds Foundation, W.W.F. and I.D.H. will work with one lakh farmers of 9 districts of Madhya Pradesh to establish regenerative agriculture in three lakh hectares of land. Work will also be done to connect it with the market for better marketing of the products. This programme will be implemented in Chhindwara, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Ratlam, Dhar, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone and Burhanpur districts, in collaboration with different partners.