Padamshri Subhash Palekar is here for a 6 day training program on Subahsh Palekar Natural Farming Techniques, which will be attended by around 850 farmers and 150 officers.Addressing the press he said that both chemical based farming and organic farming are responsible for the current adverse effects on the environment and human health. He also stated that the cost of farming in both these practices is much higher compared to natural farming techniques proposed in Subhash Palekar Natural Farming techniques. He stressed that there is an ever increasing demand for any kind of crops and fruits produced through SNPF technique and that the consumer is ready to pay higher price for such products. The consumer wants to eat pesticides and chemical free products and is ready to pay higher price for such a produce. AS there is an ever increasing demand by domestic consumers therefore there is no need for exporting any products grown through SPNF technique. He said that before industrialisation the atmospheric content of carbon dioxide was 280 PPM which at the moment has increased to 480 PPM thereby resulting in a increase of average global temperature by 2.5 degree centigrade. One of the contributing factors for this global warming is chemical and organic farming. As a consequence the only farming technique which can help in reducing global warming is the Subhash Palekar Natural Farming.
He also emphasised that despite stiff global competition the cost of production of Himachal apple can be significantly reduced by adopting SPNF techniques thereby leading to cheaper cost of production compared to cost of production in other countries. In the long run this will fetch good returns for the farmers and enable them to capture global market. He stressed on steps of conservation of germplasm and rapid increasing of number of indigenous cows by way of In Vitro Fertilization techniques.It was also suggested by him that just like in other states Himachal can adopt models of terrace farming for growing vegetables, apples, bananas and even sugarcane farming through SPNF technique. .Thus we should endeavour to promote production of every crop through SPNF technique in the state of Himachal. This 6 day training programme from 5th to 10th of June is another step in that direction. Addressing the press earlier, the State Project Director Sh. Rakesh Kanwar said that Subhash Palekar Natural Farming technique is the best method available under the present circumstances for agricultural practices and that this training programme will be attended by 850 farmers and 150 officers and officials from the department of agriculture. He thanked Padamshree Shree Palekar for accepting the invitation to train the farmers of this state and assured him that the state government is making all endeavours to make Himachal a pesticide and herbicide free state by 2022. In addition the Executive Director Dr Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Joint Director Agriculture Dr Naresh Vardhan and other officers from District Kangra and of State Project Implementation Unit Shimla were present.