BENGALURU: Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy urged farmers to cultivate pulses alongside paddy to reduce India’s dependence on imports.
Inaugurating the 3rd Agricultural Insect Biocontrol Expo and the 33rd Foundation Day of Indian Council of Agricultural Research - National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (ICAR-NBAIR) here on Sunday, he said the Centre has launched several welfare schemes and remains committed to farmers’ upliftment.
Bengaluru Rural MP, Dr CN Manjunath, said, “India loses nearly 15 to 35% of crops every year to pest-related diseases, resulting in farmer losses estimated at Rs 90,000 crore” and stressed that human health depends on the quality of crops and the fertility of the soil. “We need to use biological methods more often. Many diseases can be prevented by adopting organic methods. It is necessary to reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers”, he said.
He said, “The environment does not need humans — humans need the environment. If we destroy the soil, air, and water, we destroy ourselves. Our future depends on adopting sustainable and biological farming methods. Healthy soil, healthy crops, and healthy people, that must be our new agricultural mantra.”
Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Ministry of Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, said the previous generations of our farmers had more knowledge about farmer-friendly insects. Work is being done to disseminate this knowledge to today’s farmers as well. Farmers, researchers, and scientists are being sensitised about organic farming.
During the event, farmers who achieved excellence in agriculture and scientists from ICAR - NBAIR were felicitated. SN Sushil, Director of the institute, and others were present on the occasion.
