Pointing out that the use of chemical fertilizers has reduced organic carbon in lands and caused an alarming increase in cancer cases in the state, Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat on Friday warned against the use of urea, DAP and pesticides in agriculture.
Speaking at a seminar on natural farming at Wankaner village in Saveli taluka of Vadodara district, Devvrat pointed out statistics on the increasing number of cancer cases in the state. As president of the Gujarat Cancer Society, Devvrat said the state registers 790 new cancer patients every day. “In 2020, there were 70,000 cancer patients in Gujarat, which has now risen to 1.5 lakh with new patients being added every year. “The number has doubled in a period of five years… Last year alone, 2.88 lakh cancer patients were treated under Prime Minister Jan Ayushman Yojana,” Devvrat said. He urged farmers to give up production of cancer-causing products like tobacco. He also quoted UN figures stating that within a decade, there will be an “explosion.” cancer” in India if chemical agriculture continues unabated.
The governor also warned against the use of urea and DAP, which destroy microorganisms, earthworms and other insects that work to improve soil quality and are considered “friends of farmers.” “Chemical insecticides are toxic and can kill snakes; how will soil-friendly microorganisms survive… Chemical farming has reduced soil productivity by 10% worldwide… In Gujarat, the OC of land has dropped to less than 0.5 in fields adopting chemical farming. As a cycle, in order to get more produce from these lands, farmers are increasing the amount of urea, DAP and other chemicals every year…” said Devrat.
The governor said that by adopting natural agriculture, the OC of the soil can be increased to above 1 and the yield can be increased. “There is a common misconception that natural farming reduces production…on the contrary, it increases production. Natural farmers also suffer less damage during off-season rains because microorganisms increase the soil’s ability to absorb water…”
The governor also urged farmers to refrain from spraying DAP and urea on their fields because the nitrogen present in the chemicals comes into contact with oxygen in the atmosphere and causes nitrous oxide, which contributes to environmental disasters and pollution.
(Tags for translation)Acharya Devvrat
