Surat: 40 farmers of Gujarat doing cow-based natural farming were honored with Dhartiputra Award. Loktej Surat, Business News

‘Dhartiputra Award Presentation Ceremony’ was organized by South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday 11th February 2024 at Convention Centre, Sarsana, Surat. Savjibhai Vekaria, vice president of Vishwa Gujarati Samaj, was the chief guest. Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Natural Farming Science University, Dr. C.K. Timbadiya was present at the venue as a special guest. America’s Chaturbhai Chhabhaya was also specially present in this ceremony.

Chamber of Commerce President Ramesh Vaghasia said that agriculture contributes 15 percent to India’s total economy. The growth rate of agriculture in India is 4 percent, which is higher than the global growth rate. Of India’s population of 140 crore, 60 percent are dependent on agriculture. When India became independent, agricultural production in India was very low and we had to import food grains. India’s agricultural production was 135 million tonnes in 1950, which is 1300 million tonnes today. The supply chain of India’s agricultural produce is very long. Agricultural produce has to go through many processes. Like, harvesting, threshing, transportation, storage, processing after which the product reaches the market. According to an estimate, 10 percent of India’s total agricultural produce gets destroyed before reaching the market.

Today India has the largest cultivable land in the world. Agriculture, agricultural production and agricultural inputs contribute 20 percent to the economy of Gujarat. Food grain production in Gujarat has increased one and a half times in the last four years. The production of food grains which was 37 lakh tonnes has increased to 105 lakh tonnes. In the last 4 years, the production of oilseeds has increased from 3.7 lakh tonnes to 7.7 lakh tonnes. In the last two years alone, sowing of food grains has increased from 4800 hectares to 10,514 hectares. The main objective of today’s Dhartiputra Award distribution ceremony by the Chamber of Commerce is to honor those farmers who are fulfilling the major food needs of the citizens of the country after going through many difficulties.

Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Natural Farming Sciences University, Dr. C.K. Timbadia said, unless agriculture is linked with industry, farmers will not progress. If natural farming is done in our country then no one will fall ill. There is a famous saying about cow, village and neem, if we provide satvik food to the society by doing natural farming then people will get 100% healthy life for 100 years. Two Indian Council of Agricultural Research universities concluded that chemical farming has reduced the nutritional value of major crops like paddy and wheat by 45 percent. Wheat, rice and fruits no longer have the same nutritional value as before, so there is no way out without organic farming.

Rajkot farmer Rameshbhai, who accepted the award, said that cow, village and agriculture are synonymous with each other. To strengthen these, efforts should be made to create employment in villages and export paddy directly. Praising the SGCCI Global Connect Mission 84, he said that the Chamber of Commerce has done exemplary work for the country.

Vice President of the Chamber, Vijay Mewawala, termed the honoring of the sons of the soil as a matter of pride and thanked everyone present at the function. The ceremony was conducted by Honorary Minister Nikhil Madrasi. Chairman of the Chamber’s Agriculture, Horticulture, Fertilizer and Food Processing Committee, K.B. Pipliya gave information about the Son of Earth Award. Surat Horticulture Department Deputy Director Dinesh Padalia conducted the award presentation. Former Chamber President Himanshu Bodawala, All Exhibition Chairman Bijal Jariwala, Group Chairman Kamlesh Gajera, Former Chairman B.S. Aggarwal, Prafulla Shah and farmers were present.