Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 20 (ANI): Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Coimbatore, DMK leader TKS Elangovan slammed the Modi government over the condition of farmers and alleged that they are still agitating.

Speaking to ANI, TKS Elangovan said, 'He has to rely only on money. They paid Rs 10,000 to every woman in Bihar. They had won... It is a corrupt party. When a group of farmers was going to Delhi to agitate against the government of India, they were stopped in Nagpur and sent back. That is how the Modi government treats the farmers. Farmers are still agitating. They brought three legislations. The entire farmers' community were agitating, and they had to withdraw that.'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the government is actively encouraging farmers to adopt natural farming, and lakhs of farmers have joined the National Mission on Natural Farming launched about a year back.

Addressing the gathering at the South India Natural Farming Summit, PM Modi said that expansion of natural farming is the demand of the 21st century in the farming sector.

He said that soil fertility has been affected due to the excessive use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and the only possible solution to reduce its impact is through crop diversification and natural farming.

'Expansion of natural farming is the demand of the farming of the 21st century. Due to the rise in demand in the last few years, usage of chemicals has increased in farms and several agricultural sectors...Due to the excessive usage of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, soil fertility is dropping, soil moisture is getting impacted and the cost of farming is increasing every year. Its solution is possible only through crop diversification and natural farming,' the PM said.

The Union Cabinet approved the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) in November last year till the 15th Finance Commission (2025-26), as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme as a shift to strengthen agriculture practices with scientifically backed approaches towards sustainability, climate resilience and safe food. It is aimed towards improving soil health and restoring ecosystems and reducing input cost to the farmer to achieve greater climate resilience. (ANI)