Deputy Chief Whip and Congress MLA from Shahpur in Kangra district Kewal Singh Pathania is leading by example in the field. The proactive leader, who is known for his ability to connect with people on the ground, has not only been taking up farmers' problems actively but has also turned out as a voluntary ambassador of non-chemical agricultural practices in the state, in the larger interest of sustainable agriculture and food safety.
While at home in Shahpur, it is a routine for the MLA to work on his farm and kitchen garden during the morning hours. He has been sensitising farmers and resolving their problems with the help of agriculture experts, on the spot.
He recently visited farmers' fields in the Shahpur area, accompanied by a team headed by Vice-Chancellor of CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishva Vidyalaya, Palampur, Dr Naveen Kumar, Director of Extension Education Dr Vinod Sharma, Joint Director of Agriculture Dr Rahul Katoch, and Scientist Dr Deep Kumar, to review natural farming practices and address issues related to crop damage.
The team interacted with local farmers and assessed the recurring problem of crop damage due to various reasons in the Shahpur area. Follow-ups on earlier complaints by farmers were also conducted in a number of villages by Pathania and the agriculture experts.
“I have been a farmer myself and I know the ground realities. I have been doing natural farming in my land also and know the benefits,” said Pathania.
He said he has been promoting the natural farming concept wherever he goes. His recent tour to Norway for a sports event, where he served as the Manager of Indian Powerlifting Team, was no exception. In his meeting with the authorities in Norway, he showcased the natural farming efforts in Himachal Pradesh and highlighted the benefits of this non-chemical farming.
Pathania said he was hopeful that more and more farmers in his area would move away from chemicals and shift to natural farming, which is more profitable, healthier and sustainable practice for farmers and yields nutritious produce for consumers.
“We just need to provide the farmers a platform for marketing, which our government is doing. The Government announced the highest Minimum Support Price for naturally grown maize, wheat, raw turmeric and barley, and after the launch of naturally grown Him Bhog Makki Atta, the Government will now launch the naturally grown Wheat atta and daliya, which will give further boost to the farmers, and make healthy produce available to the consumers,” he said.
Pathania has also been holding meetings with officers to give feedback to improve strategies for promoting natural farming at the state level.
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