Kumaraswamy pushes organic farming, calls for Pulse revolution in India

Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries, HD Kumaraswamy, inaugurated the 3rd Agricultural Insect Biocontrol Expo and the 33rd Foundation Day celebration of the ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (ICAR-NBAIR) in Bengaluru on Sunday. The event was attended by Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Ministry of Labour and Employment, Shobha Karandlaje, and Bengaluru Rural MP CN Manjunath.

Speaking at the inaugural session, Kumaraswamy urged farmers to cultivate pulses alongside crops such as paddy to reduce India’s dependence on imports of pulses. He highlighted that the Central Government has implemented several schemes to support the agricultural sector and reiterated the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare and upliftment. The minister emphasised that overuse of pesticides reduces soil fertility and encouraged farmers to adopt organic farming. He noted that ICAR-NBAIR is actively working to strengthen farmers through research in biological pest control. Kumaraswamy further stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has emerged as one of the world’s top five economic powers and is projected to become the third-largest.

Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje highlighted that traditional knowledge of farmer-friendly insects is being disseminated to today’s farmers. She stressed the importance of promoting organic farming and sensitising farmers, researchers, and scientists about its benefits. She added that farmers adopting organic methods are being encouraged and that measures will be taken to expand the operations of ICAR-NBAIR.

MP CN Manjunath noted that human health is closely linked to soil fertility and crop quality. He emphasised the need for biological methods in agriculture, reducing the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, and highlighted the government’s prioritisation of agriculture under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the event, farmers who achieved excellence in agriculture and scientists from ICAR-NBAIR were felicitated. The ceremony was attended by SN Sushil, Director of ICAR-NBAIR, and other officials. The event also showcased the potential for ICAR-NBAIR initiatives to scale nationally, covering multiple states and crops, through farmer training, regional adaptation of biological pest control, and integration with government organic farming schemes.