Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], December 20: MDH family’s Suresh Rathi and the entire team warmly welcomed the awareness campaign “Mere Gaon Ki Mitti” Shuddh Ugao, Shuddh Khilao, which reached Nagaur from Delhi to make the farmers of the country aware of the ill effects of pesticides and how to increase the income along with the quality of the crop. On this occasion, Suresh Rathi made very important announcements for the farmers of the country. He said that MDH will pay an extra price over and above the market rate to those farmers whose produce will be in accordance with the foreign market and the country’s set market standards and in which almost no pesticides will be found.
Suresh Rathi said that MDH Group will buy IPM quality cumin at 15% more price than normal cumin and fenugreek leaves at 20% more than market price. Along with this, Rathi said that MDH Group Chairman Rajiv Gulati wishes that the facility of pesticide testing should be available in Nagaur at the time of crop purchase, for which an appeal was made to the Rajasthan Government, District Administration, and ICAR for necessary cooperation in setting up the lab.
Chairman of Rajasthan Kisan Aayog and former MP CR Chaudhary said that MDH’s awareness campaign has to be made a campaign of public awareness so that every farmer of the country becomes aware and the common people get healthy food. Nagaur District Magistrate Arun Kumar Purohit assured that the administration is ready to provide all possible help for the pesticide lab test. Arun Kumar said that Nagaur’s Kasuri Methi is known all over the world for its fragrance, color, and taste.
ICAR Director Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj said that MDH’s initiative ‘Mere Gaon Ki Mitti’ is a commendable step. If the farmer grows agricultural products with less pesticide, then he will definitely get the best price for the crop, and the elements of the soil of the field will also remain intact. The only need is for the farmer to be aware, and ICAR is with “Mere Gaon ki Mitti” a noble cause.
The total export of spices from India in the year 2023-24 is $4.46 billion, which shows that if the spice industry and the government together educate the farmers about pesticides, then by 2030 the Indian spice business can be worth $20 billion. That is, a 5-fold increase in 5 years. Rajasthan has an excellent crop of Jeera, Lal Mirch, Dhaniya, Methi Dana, and Methi Patta. The farmer also wants his products to be sold at a fair price in foreign markets.
Sharad Rathi said that MDH already processes only low-pesticide spices, because Rajiv Gulati, Chairman, MDH following the ideals of his father, the late Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, is committed to social work along with providing the highest quality spices to the society. Now the time has come that more and more farmers of the country should give up pesticides, adopt natural agricultural techniques, and join the campaign for pesticide-free crops. In this direction, the Mere Gaon Ki Mitti Jagrukta Abhiyan has been started in the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of organic India. This Rath will make the farmers of the whole country aware of the ill effects of pesticides, and agricultural scientists will tell them how to get quality crops without pesticides.
On this occasion, the Additional District Magistrate of Nagaur, Champalal Jinagar; Director of ICAR-NRCSS Ajmer, Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj; Secretary of Krishi Upaj Mandi, Raghunathram Chaudhary; Senior Scientist of Agricultural Science from ICAR-NRCSS Ajmer, Dr. Ravindra Singh; Senior Scientist of Entomology from ICAR-NRCSS Ajmer, Dr. Krishna Kant Gupta; Chief Medical and Health Officer Jugal Kishore Saini; and Rupa Mehta from Market Times were present in the program. On 5 December, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Bhagirath Chaudhary launched the MDH “Mere Gaon Ki Mitti” awareness campaign in Delhi.
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Divya Agarwal
