Over 120 farmers attended a one-day workshop on Organic Farming (Kudrati-Kheti) organized by Ecosikh in collaboration with Living Successfully Foundation at Village Lalchian, Guru Harsahai, Ferozpur. The workshop funded by Datawind, aimed to promote organic farming in Punjab and create demand and marketing opportunity for organic food products that will support farmer community and ultimately benefit the health of Punjab’s population, it’s rivers and soils. The workshop was conducted by Master Rajbir Singh of renowned Pingalwara Charitable Trust of Amritsar.Master Rajbir Singh delivered a step by step information on the package and practices of natural farming and answered all the queries that the farmers had for shifting from chemical based farming to natural farming. He stated, “Bhagat Puran Singh has shown us a great way towards conservation of planet and Pingalwara Trust is working day and night to educate farmers of Punjab to cultivate their lands in Guru Nanak’s way.”EcoSikh South Asia Project Manager, Ravneet Singh said, “EcoSikh promotes ‘Nanak Kheti as Uttam Kheti’, which is safe and healthy. As Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar has shown the way by switching to organic langar and more and more Gurdwaras are to follow suit, it is thus the perfect time that Punjabi agriculturists should practice organic way of farming. Down the line this is going to benefit the health of cancer struck state of Punjab and save our rivers, underground water, air and soil which is now polluted with numerous carcinogenic pesticides and chemicals being used to pesticide-based agriculture.”
Datawind Corporation team presented an empowering and interactive visual presentation on web browsing application and shared their super low cost plans which includes one-year free high speed internet to increase farmers’ connectivity with the outer world.Suneet Singh Tuli, EcoSikh board member and Founder Chairman of Datawind said, “With the increase in online consumer in India the scope of online marketing has increased. The Punjab farmer needs exposure and internet tools to support them to learn innovations in natural farming and plan their marketing strategy. Our message is simple - Eat Organic, Buy Organic, Grow Organic and be Organic.”Parvinder Singh, Divisional Head of Living Successfully Foundation, said “I strongly feel responsible for the healthy future of Punjab. I am thrilled to share the overwhelming response by the local farmers to learn and adopt organic farming. We are inaugurating a library for organic agriculture called ‘Dharat Suhavi’ and also have future plans to create better marketing facilities to support the organic farmers in our zone.”In addition to expert lectures on natural farming, the event included exhibition of organic products from Farmers Help Society of Dhira Patra including; wheat flour, jaggery, porridge, pulses, butter and spices by Sonipat based LRM spices. The farmers were given cloth bags and reading material on natural farming.
About Ecosikh
EcoSikh is a response from the Sikh community to the threats of climate change and the deterioration of the natural environment. Our organisation arose as part of the Long Term Plans for Generational Change programme initiated in 2009 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) to help the world's major religious traditions create long-term plans to improve their relationship with the environment.