Ranchi

Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur on Friday urged farmers to adopt natural farming, dubbing it essential for the health of cultivators and agricultural fields.

Addressing farmers at a programme here, Thakur said Rs 300 crore was distributed among 19 lakh farmers from Jharkhand as part of the 24th instalment of the PM-Kisan scheme released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Gujarat.

The PM on Friday transferred over Rs 18,690 crore to the bank accounts of more than 9.34 crore farmers across the country as part of the welfare scheme.

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme provides Rs 6,000 per year in income support to eligible farmers.

Joining the programme virtually from Ranchi-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research - National Institute of Secondary Agriculture (ICAR-NISA), Thakur said, "I urge Jharkhand farmers to make good use of the funds and to focus on adopting natural farming, alongside the use of improved seeds. Natural farming is essential for the health of both farmers and the farmland."

Around 25,000 hectares of land in the state are covered under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), involving over 11,000 farmers, an official said.

PKVY is a flagship government scheme launched in 2015 to promote organic farming and improve soil health.

"Under the leadership of PM Modi, significant steps have been taken for the welfare of farmers, which had not been taken before," Thakur, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, said at a state-level 'PM-Kisan Utsav'.

Union government's Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare joint secretary Franklin K. Khobung said around 19 lakh farmers in Jharkhand are registered under the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.

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He urged state government officials to ensure that all eligible farmers, who are currently deprived of the scheme's benefits, are brought under its fold.