Sat Jan 11 13:53:48 UTC 2025: ## Governor Ravi Advocates for Natural Farming at Pongal Celebration
**Musiri, Tamil Nadu –** Governor R.N. Ravi on Saturday urged a return to traditional farming methods, highlighting the detrimental effects of colonial policies and excessive chemical fertilizer use on agricultural output. Speaking at a Pongal celebration at the MIT Agricultural and Technology College in Musiri, he lamented the decline in rice production, citing Punjab as a prime example where yields have fallen below the national average due to land degradation.
Governor Ravi contrasted India’s past agricultural prowess, referencing historical reports of high rice yields achieved without chemical fertilizers, with the current situation. He attributed the decline to British-era policies that imposed heavy land taxes and promoted cash crops, ultimately damaging traditional farming systems.
The Governor praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on natural farming and the ongoing nationwide experiments promoting its adoption. The event, which featured an exhibition of natural farm produce, was jointly organized by several organizations including the Tamil Nadu Farmer Producer Organisations’ Federation and the Vanagam Nammalvar Environmental Centre. The event was attended by dignitaries including Tamil Nadu Agricultural University’s former Vice-Chancellor K. Ramasamy and MIT Educational Institutions Vice-Chairman E. Praveen Kumar.
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