PM Bats for Organic Farming, Hails Practices in South India

COIMBATORE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called on the farming community in the country to aggressively pursue organic farming as it helps revive soil fertility and enhance the nutritional value of crops.

Inaugurating the South India Natural Farming Summit, 2025, in Coimbatore, the Prime Minister said natural farming alone can preserve biodiversity for future generations.

Listing the advantages natural farming offered, the Prime Minster said it fights climate change and weather fluctuations, keeps soil healthy and protects people from harmful chemicals.

He said the Union government is actively encouraging farmers to adopt natural farming and launched the National Mission on Natural Farming which has already connected lakhs of farmers. Its impact is visible across South India with approximately 35,000 hectares of land in Tamil Nadu alone has now under organic and natural farming.

“Natural farming is an indigenous Indian concept not imported from elsewhere but born from tradition and aligned with the environment,” the Prime Minister said.

He expressed happiness that farmers in South India are consistently adopting traditional natural farming practices such as panchagavya, jeevamrit, beejamrit and mulching. These practices, he noted, improve soil health, keep crops chemical-free, and reduce input costs.

Integrating the cultivation of millets with natural farming plays a vital role in protecting the earth, he said, adding that Lord Murugan is offered ‘thenum thinai Maavum’, a preparation made from honey and millets. Millets such as Kambu and Samai have been part of traditional diets in Tamil regions, Ragi in Kerala and Karnataka, and Sajja and Jonna in Telugu-speaking states for generations, he pointed out.

Modi stressed that the government was committed to taking these superfoods to global markets and emphasised that natural and chemical-free farming will play a major role in expanding their international reach. He expressed that the summit must include discussions on such efforts.

Reiterating his consistent appeal for promoting multi-crop agriculture over monoculture, the Prime Minister acknowledged that many regions in South have been a source of inspiration in this regard. Examples of multi-storey agriculture are clearly visible in the hilly areas of Kerala and Karnataka. A single field will have coconut, areca nut and fruit plants with spices and black pepper grown underneath. Such integrated cultivation on small plots reflects the core philosophy of natural farming, the Prime Minister said. “This model of agriculture must be promoted at a pan-India level,” said and urged urged state governments to consider how these practices can be implemented across different regions of the country.

The Prime Minister remarked that South India has been a living university of agriculture. He noted that this region is home to some of the world’s oldest functioning dams, and that the Kalingarayan canal was built here in the 13th century. Temple tanks in the region became models of decentralised water conservation systems. The Prime Minister stated that this region pioneered scientific water engineering methods thousands of years ago by regulating river water for agriculture. He expressed confidence that leadership in natural farming for the country and the world will also emerge from this very region.

Emphasising that building a futuristic agricultural ecosystem for a developed India requires collective effort, the Prime Minister urged farmers to begin and practice “one acre, one season” of natural farming and to move forward based on the results they observe. He appealed to scientists and research institutions to make natural farming a core part of the agricultural curriculum, encouraging them to treat farmers’ fields as living laboratories. “Our goal must be to make natural farming a fully science-backed movement,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said he envisions major transformations in Indian agriculture in the years to come. “India is on the path to becoming a global hub for natural farming,” he said.

He described Coimbatore as a land of culture, compassion, and creativity, and recognised it as a power centre of South India’s entrepreneurial strength. He highlighted that the city’s textile sector is a major contributor to the national economy.

The Prime Minister released over Rs 18,000 crore to farmers under the 21st instalment of PM-KISAN, benefiting nine crore farmers nationwide.

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) chief G.K. Vasan, Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran, Union Minister L. Murugan, former TNBJP president K Annamalai were among those who received the Prime Minister at the airport.

Following his arrival, Mr. Modi held a roadshow from the airport to CODISSIA (Coimbatore District Small Industries Association) grounds.