TENKASI: Governor R N Ravi urged the farmer community to switch to organic farming which is more sustainable than modern farming, while addressing the organic farmers in Courtallam on Thursday.
Ravi said even those who completed their studies in IITs and business schools have engaged in organic farming.
"Many people do not know that I belong to a farmer family. I have worked in a farm field. I am happy to be among the farmers here. Amid climate change, modern farming is not sustainable as opposed to organic farming which avoids the usage of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Though organic farmers produce a lot, accessibility to the market remains a challenge for them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is serious about improving the lives and incomes of both the farmers and organic farmers," the governor said.
Stating that Indian farmers harvested around seven metric tonnes of rice per hectare even 200 years ago without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, Ravi said an environmental-friendly lifestyle in our country will set an example to the world that is slowly heading to total disaster as a result of climate change and global warming.
The governor further had a detailed interaction with disabled students, children from marginalised communities, and their teachers at Avvai Ashram-Gandhi Gram Trust, Sivasailam. He also met traditional pot makers at Alwarkurichi, praised their exquisite craftsmanship, and purchased pots from them. The governor had a darshan of lord Siva at Sivasailapathi Temple.