MOTIHARI: JS Sandhu, agriculture commissioner , Government of India, after visiting East Champaran along with senior state agriculture department officials and some farmers said here recently that farmers of the district are more progressive and they are doing farming with the help of scientifically proven methods.

Sandhu said there is great need to promote organic and compost farming and its practices in the country to save the fertility of the agriculture lands. At present it is being practiced in 12 states and it is high time that it starts on a massive scale in Bihar because the soil of Bihar, especially in north Bihar is in better condition than other states. It should be saved from excessive use of chemical fertilizers, mainly urea.

Sandhu interacted with small and big farmers in 20 villages of eight blocks of the district and tried to know their problems. The farmers of these villages told him that they are not getting good quality of seeds and here is no permanent source of irrigation like deep irrigation, micro irrigation or community ponds. The Union agriculture ministry has taken several measures to assist the farmers and good quality of seeds will be available at the doors of farmers soon and farms will get irrigation facilities under Pradhan Mantri Sinchai Yojna, Sandhu told the farmers.

Sandhu further said soil health card will be boon for the farmers and will be available to the farmers within three to four months. Saiol health card will check the excessive use of chemical fertilizers.

He asked the farmers to use more compost and organic fertilizer to produce healthy crop. Ajay Singh, marketing manager, IFFCO, Lucknow, said IFFCO has adopted 20 villages of East Champaran district to bring reforms in traditional farming.

