Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on Tuesday, 11 August called on farmers in Anand district to abandon chemical farming and transition to natural farming, warning that continued reliance on chemical fertilisers and pesticides risks leaving future generations with neither fertile soil nor clean drinking water. The appeal came during a two-day visit to Anand taluka, where Devvrat engaged directly with local farming communities.

Governor at the Farm

Devvrat visited the natural farm of progressive farmer Naresh Solanki in Boriyavi village, where he inspected standing crops, milked a cow, and personally ploughed the field. He also demonstrated the preparation and benefits of Jeevamrut and Ghan Jeevamrut — fermented bio-inputs central to the natural farming model — to the assembled farmers.

'Nature and God have themselves created the best system for maintaining the fertility of the soil,' Devvrat told farmers at the site.

The Case Against Chemical Farming

The Governor argued that indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides had destroyed earthworms and beneficial microorganisms in agricultural soil, forcing farmers to supplement externally with nutrients such as nitrogen, potash, and phosphorus. He noted that forests sustain plant life without any chemical inputs, citing this as evidence that soil has an inherent capacity for self-renewal when left undisturbed.

'Chemical farming has hardened the soil, whereas natural farming makes the soil fertile and, through natural water harvesting, allows rainwater to seep directly into the soil,' he said. He cautioned that if current practices continued, future generations would inherit barren land and depleted water sources.

Why Natural Farming Makes Economic Sense

Devvrat argued that natural farming need not mean lower yields — higher organic carbon content in the soil, he said, can improve crop output over time. He described natural farming as a cow-based system in which cattle serve a dual purpose: producing milk for income and manure for agriculture, reducing external input costs substantially.

He noted that several farmers in Gujarat were already operating on a five-tier natural farming model and earning lakhs of rupees annually with comparatively low labour and input expenditure. Drawing on personal experience, Devvrat said he had himself abandoned chemical fertilisers, after which his land regained its fertility. 'Instead of handing over barren land to the coming generation, handing over fertile and healthy land is the true form of repentance,' he said.

Yoga Session at Village School

Ahead of his farm visit, the Governor had spent the previous night in an ordinary room at Charvarg Primary School in Samarkha village of Anand taluka. Early on Tuesday morning, he led students, teachers, and villagers in a yoga and pranayama session, demonstrating Sheetali, Anulom-Vilom, Bhramari, and Bhastrika breathing techniques. He performed Surya Namaskar with the children and explained the significance of 'Om', with the session concluding in a collective chanting of the Gayatri Mantra.

Broader Policy Context

This is not the first time Devvrat has championed natural farming; he has consistently advocated the practice as a route to improved soil fertility and reduced dependence on commercial agricultural inputs. The Gujarat state government has also been promoting natural farming as a statewide initiative, aligning with the Centre's broader push under the National Mission on Natural Farming. With input costs squeezing farm margins across India, the Governor's ground-level outreach signals an intensifying effort to build farmer confidence in the transition.