The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch a mega drive across the country to spread Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message urging farmers to take up organic farming.
BJP Kisan Morcha chief Rajkumar Chahar will launch the Jan Abhiyan Yatra (people's movement) on April 28 from Bihar. He will lead a 5 km Yatra with the participation of around 2000 farmers from the Bakhtiarpur area of Patna district in Bihar.
"In the first phase of this public awareness campaign, the Yatra will make its way through villages on the banks of the river Ganga in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand," Chahar told ANI.
The BJP Kisan Morcha will also be organizing Kisan Sammelans and Kisan Sabhas to educate farmers about the benefits of organic farming and the schemes of the Central government supporting it.
"It will be a mass movement. We will connect with farmers and inform them about the schemes of the Central Government related to organic farming. We will tell them about the support government is extending to farmers and how in the long run they will reap huge benefits from this," said Chahar to ANI.
The Lok Sabha MP from Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, Chahar, further said that since 2015 the Central Government has extended the support of Rs 1,632 cores to encourage farmers to opt for organic farming.
"From financial year 2015-16 to 2019-2020, the central government has given funds worth 1,632 crores to encourage farmers to take up organic farming. Through the government support about Rs 50,000 per hectare is also being provided via different schemes for organic farming," he said.
The BJP leader further said that PM Modi on many occasions has warned about the dangers of pesticides and imported fertilizers, urging small farmers to turn to organic or natural farming.
"He has also emphasized the perils of using pesticides and chemicals pesticides leading to increase in the input cost and impact on the health of human beings," he added.
Earlier, while addressing a webinar on the positive impact of Union Budget 2022 in the Agriculture sector, PM Modi had said, "We are encouraging organic farming because of which the market for organic products has reached Rs 11,000 crore. Organic exports have risen to more than Rs 7,000 crore from Rs 2,000 crore rupees six years ago."
( With inputs from ANI )
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