Emphasising organic farming as a strong tool to fight climate change, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India is moving toward becoming the global centre for natural farming.
Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day South India Natural Farming Summit in Coimbatore—and while releasing ₹18,000 crore to 9 crore farmers under the 21st instalment of the PM-Kisan Scheme—Modi said natural farming is an indigenous concept rooted in India’s traditions and environment.
“Natural farming counters the adverse effects of climate change. With more youth entering agriculture and seeing it as a modern, scalable opportunity, India is on the path to becoming the global hub of organic farming,” he said.
Modi added that natural farming is personally close to his heart, and the Union government is actively promoting it through various policy initiatives. He noted that the results are particularly visible in southern India.
“In Tamil Nadu alone, 35 lakh hectares are under natural farming,” he said, encouraging farmers to try natural farming on at least one acre for one season. He also praised southern India’s advanced water management practices.
Highlighting the dangers of excessive chemical fertilisers and pesticides—which damage soil fertility and reduce moisture—Modi stressed the need to restore soil health for future generations. He welcomed the increased use of traditional organic mixtures like panchagavya and urged farmers to diversify crops with millets.
Recalling millet traditions in the South, he said, “Tinai (yellow foxtail millet), kambu (pearl millet), samai (little millet) and ragi have long been part of southern diets.” He called for multi-crop farming instead of monoculture and expressed hope that chemical-free products from India would soon reach global markets, assuring full government support.
Sharing insights from his interaction with farmers at the exhibition, Modi said many young professionals, including engineers—and even one former ISRO employee—have taken up natural farming, which he described as a promising trend.
Farmers greeted the Prime Minister with green towels, a traditional symbol of welcome in Tamil Nadu. Modi, buoyed by the recent electoral victory in Bihar, said he “felt the winds of Bihar here too.” Some farmers also took selfies with him during the event.
Earlier, Modi was welcomed at Coimbatore airport by BJP state president Nainar Nagendran, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, and Tamil Maanila Congress president G.K
