Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Minister of Rural Development and Panchayats, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and NRI Affairs, Punjab today visited the heritage natural farm at Rangilpur village near Batala.
On this occasion Amansher Singh Sheri Kalsi MLA Batala, Dr. Himashu Aggarwal Deputy Commissioner Gurdaspur, Satinder Singh SSP Batala, Advocate Jagroop Singh Sekhwan District Incharge AAP Party, Dr. Shairi Bhandari SDM Batala, Manmohan Singh Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development) and owners of Heritage Natural Farm Gurmakh Singh Kalsi and Harwinder Singh Kalsi were also present.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal while appreciating the owner of heritage natural farm by progressive farmer Gurmakh Singh Kalsi, and Harwinder singh Kalsi said that the need of the hour is to carry out such meaningful activities along with the main business of agriculture.
He said that these farmer brothers are getting good yield from their crops by adopting natural farming methods and they are getting good price from the market for the produce produced through natural farming.
He said that in order to further strengthen the agriculture economically, the Punjab government is also promoting crop diversification with agriculture so that the income of the farmers can increase further.
Addressing on this occasion, Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal said that natural farming is the need of the hour to save underground water, keep the environment clean and for good health and the Punjab government will provide all possible help to such progressive farmers so that other farmers can also grow crops.
He said that the Chief Minister When Bhagwant Mann entrusted him with the responsibility of Agriculture Department, he said that strengthening agriculture is his priority, because Punjab is an agricultural state and the economy of the state is linked to agriculture.
He said that by reducing the area under paddy in the state, efforts are being made to connect the farmers with crop diversity such as maize, millet, sugarcane and cotton and the farmers should again connect with the farming done by their elders.
Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal further said that it is the priority of the government to provide urban level facilities to the villages of Punjab and the panch/sarpanch of the state and the villagers should rise above politics and factionalism to ensure the development of the village.
On this occasion, Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal on the spot accepted the demand of village sarpanch and other prominent persons to ensure the circular roads around the village , install lights in the village, construct Nagiana Sahib road and told the officials of the concerned departments that in addition to fulfilling the above demands.
The village should be developed as a model village and no stone should be left unturned for the comprehensive development of the village. On this occasion, all the villagers thanked Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal.
On this occasion, MLA Sherry Kalsi said that Gurmukh Singh Kalsi is a progressive farmer and it is a matter of pride for our district that he has set an example through heritage natural farm. He said that adoption of auxiliary agricultural occupations along with traditional agriculture is the main need of the hour and the example of heritage natural farm is in front of all of us.
Speaking on this occasion Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himmashu Agarwal said that he is very happy that he has come to the village of forward-thinking farmers today and great work is being done for the betterment of agriculture.
He said that work will be done with the cooperation of all to make Punjab a Rangla Punjab and there will be no laxity in implementing the welfare schemes of the government at the ground level.
On this occasion, progressive farmer Gurmukh Singh and his younger brother Harvinder Singh, Cabinet Minister Dhaliwal, MLA Sherry Kalsi and Deputy Commissioner Dr. Thanking Himashu Agarwal, he said that both the brothers are doing joint farming together and they have brought more than half of their 22 acres of 12 acres under natural farming.
Farmer brothers are getting good yield from their crops and they are charging twice the market price for the produce produced through natural farming. Farmer Gurmukh Singh said that he started natural farming from 1 acre 5 years ago and now he is doing natural farming in 12 acres.
He said that in natural farming fields, they do not add any fertilizers or chemicals and no pesticides and herbicides are used. He said that through natural farming, wheat, paddy, maize, masar, manha, moong, mustard, sesame, kamad, turmeric, mudal, onion are being produced. Apart from this, they are also producing vegetables for home use without poisons.
Farmer Gurmukh Singh said that natural farming saves water. They never burn crop residues in their fields, due to which the fertility of their land is maintained. He invited the farmers to adopt natural farming.