NEW DELHI (India CSR): Taking forward the vision of Naveen Jindal, 3rd-time Member of Parliament (Kurukshetra) and Chairman of Jindal Steel & Power (JSP), Jindal Foundation launched an innovative programme ‘Jindal Krishi Seva,’ aimed at promoting natural farming and sustaining agriculture production in Angul district free of chemical-based fertilisers and pesticides.
Jindal Foundation’s Chairperson Shallu Jindal today kick-started this project with the flagging off a Mobile Soil Testing Van.
Dignitaries and Attendance
Mr. Umashankar Mishra, Chief District Agriculture Officer (CDAO) of Angul; Amber Lubun, Deputy Director Horticulture (DDH), Angul; Ashutosh Roy, District Development Manager, NABARD; Debasis Mishra, Principal Scientist and Head of KVK-Angul; Pankaj Malhan, Executive Director, JSP, senior officials of JSP; Prashanta Kumar Hota, President & Group Head – CSR & Education; and more than 300 farmers, government officials, and agri-experts joined the programme.
Integrated Farming Model
On the occasion, Smt. Shallu Jindal said, “The Jindal Krishi Seva initiative is designed to bring together natural farming practices, farmers’ training, capacity building, natural seed treatment, the use of natural agri-inputs like composting, vermiculture, cow dung, and cow urine, and the preparation of bio fertilisers for the natural microbes to grow with the adoption of appropriate agronomic practices of crop diversification and the use of modern farm equipment under a single integrated platform.
Through this program, the Jindal Foundation reaffirms its commitment to supporting the vision for ecological balance, food security, and rural economic development by nurturing the backbone of our society—the farmers and the farming families.”
Inspired by Vision
This project is inspired by the vision of Shri Naveen Jindal ji, who not only shares our commitment to the welfare of farmers but recently made us all proud by speaking strongly in the Parliament about the importance of natural farming and why the nation should take it up in a mission mode.
Soil Testing Service
The mobile soil testing vehicle will travel from village to village, analysing soil quality and addressing the soil health challenges ranging from pH level to salt content, NPK proportion, and other micronutrient contents. The soil health card will be generated in one hour’s time, along with customised recommendations for soil treatment and the application of natural nutrients and micronutrients required for each soil specimen.
Initially, the service will benefit farmers in 49 villages across the Angul district. It aims to deliver accessible, timely, and accurate soil analysis, empowering farmers with better crop planning and nutrient management.
Awareness and Demonstration
The programme introduced the objectives and scope of the Jindal Krishi Seva project, highlighting soil health, millet promotion, and improved farmer livelihoods. A live soil testing demonstration offered practical perspectives on scientific soil analysis, raising awareness about sustainable farming and the crucial role of soil in crop yield and quality.
Women Farmers Participation
Smt. Shallu Jindal, while interacting with the farming communities, expressed her happiness with the association of an increasing number of women farmers with Jindal Krishi Seva, mainly in natural farming, millet cultivation, and the value addition of millet-based foods.
Farmers Share Experiences
Sri Pitambar Pradhan of Kulei, Pratap Pradhan of Tukuda, and Sri Dwari Pradhan of Majhika extolled the farming initiatives of the Jindal Foundation, recapitulated their learnings in Kurukshetra on natural farming, and emphasised the rearing of indigenous breeds of cows as a bliss of each home.
Preventive Health Benefits
Talking to the press, Shallu Jindal said, “With the ‘Back to Nature’ approach embedded in natural farming, I am quite sure that our farmers adopting such cropping practices will be the game changers for the prevention of cancer, diseases of digestive canals, and neurological disorders.”
Scaling Impact Statewide
Jindal Krishi Seva program is expected to benefit more than 2,000 farmers in the Angul district in the very first phase and will gradually be expanded to the entire Angul district in collaboration with the District Administration and State Government. “We shall gradually cover Odisha as a whole, multiplying Natural Farming Ambassadors from the Farming Community,” Smt. Jindal added.
Jindal, while exchanging with the female farmers, emphasised the use of drumsticks and drumstick leaves in food and the elimination of refined oil, maida, and sugar.
(India CSR)
