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Dang, a forest region of Gujarat, was declared a fully natural farming district under the "Aapnu Dang, Prakrutik Dang" (Our Dang, Natural Dang) campaign in 2021.
The achievement complements Prime Minister Narendra Modi's robust initiative to promote Natural farming, with the recent Union Budget committing to include 1 crore farmers in natural farming practices nationwide. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Gujarat has seen a significant rise in the adoption of natural farming. The declaration of Dang as a natural farming district has profoundly impacted the lives of tribal youth involved in agriculture. The inspiring story of Rajubhai Sahre from Galkund village in Ahwa taluka exemplifies the transformative success of natural farming. According to a press release, farmer Rajubhai Budhabhai Sahre yielded a profit of Rs 3 lakh on a two-hectare field in 2023 using the drip irrigation method. "Rajubhai Budhabhai Sahre, 40, adopted horticulture with a scientific approach after receiving training from the Horticulture Department. In 2021, he earned Rs 55,000 from planting bitter gourd on 2 hectares, resulting in a profit of Rs 40,000. Leveraging the benefits of Natural farming, Rajubhai diversified his crops. By 2023-24, he achieved an impressive Rs 4 lakh 40 thousand in earnings from chillies, bitter gourd, tomatoes, and broccoli, utilising mulching and drip irrigation techniques. His income has surged by 700 per cent in the last three years," it said. Rajubhai further highlighted that he diversified his crop and planted 25,000 strawberry saplings this year. Talking about his experiments with natural farming methods, Rajubhai states, "We plant crops like bitter gourd, tomatoes, gallows, and paddy according to the season. While broccoli is not widely favoured in Dang, I decided to give it a try. Last year, I planted 7,000 strawberry plants and achieved a 100 per cent profit. This year, I've expanded to 25,000 strawberry plants." Rajubhai also shared that he and his brothers are involved in natural farming. With two elder daughters and a son currently studying, he thanked the government for its support and assistance. "We receive subsidies from the Horticulture Department, which includes essential training and support. The department has assisted with raw mandap, seeds, plastic wrap, packing materials, and mango grafting," he said. As per the press release, the Gujarat government has actively supported and trained farmers to promote natural farming. As it gains traction, many farmers are moving to natural farming. From 2021 to 2023-24, Rs 1603 lakh in assistance has been allocated to support farmers involved in Natural Farming by the state government. (ANI)
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