Amit Shah Urges Farmers to Adopt Organic Farming, Assures Greater Benefits for Eco-Friendly Agriculture
Rajkot, September 22 – Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday appealed to farmers to reduce their reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and shift towards organic farming. He emphasized that the government is making arrangements to ensure greater benefits for farmers who adopt environment-friendly agricultural practices.
Shah, who also holds the Home Ministry portfolio, highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already provided a festive gift to farmers by reducing GST on equipment and items used in agriculture. The revised GST system now has only two slabs of 5 percent and 18 percent, effective from Monday, which coincided with the beginning of Navratri.
Addressing agricultural experts after attending the annual general meeting of seven cooperative organizations in Rajkot district, Shah said that India is working to bring a major share of the global organic products market to its farmers. He noted that organic farming avoids the use of synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, relying instead on natural resources like organic waste and beneficial microbes to boost productivity while conserving the environment and ecology.
Shah outlined several government initiatives to strengthen the cooperative movement. He mentioned the establishment of “Bharat Organics,” a brand under the National Cooperative Organics Limited, aimed at ensuring better returns for farmers selling organic produce. A cooperative society has been set up to procure and market organic products, while a new export and seed cooperative committee has also been established.
He further informed that the Tribhuvandas Patel Cooperative University has been set up in Anand, Gujarat, to provide education in all areas of the cooperative sector. In the past three years, the Ministry of Cooperation has introduced 60 initiatives, including measures to strengthen Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), their computerization, and new steps for establishing warehouses for cooperative unions. According to Shah, these efforts have stabilized the cooperative structure, which had been in decline for four decades, and strengthened it by 12 percent over the last two years.
New cooperative societies, dairy unions, and milk processing committees have also emerged nationwide, ensuring better income for farmers. A computerized system has been introduced in Gujarat to further streamline benefits for cooperative members. Under the “Cooperation Among Cooperatives” initiative, a pilot project started in Banaskantha and Panchmahal districts is now being extended across the state.
Earlier in the day, Shah laid the foundation stone for the ISKCON Varachha temple at Kosmada in Surat district, to be built over an area of 3.51 lakh square feet at a cost of Rs 101 crore.
As per agency report, Shah’s address underscored the government’s commitment to strengthening cooperatives and encouraging sustainable farming, aiming to provide both economic gains and environmental benefits for Indian farmers.
