Inspirational Story of Padam Shri Awardee Farmer "Nek Ram Sharma" from Himachal Pradesh

When the government's policy on fertilizers was put into practice in the Karsog valley of Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, Nekram Sharma was in his adolescent years. Farmers, including Nekram's father, switched to greater use of fertilizers and shifted from millet crops to cash crops for higher profits in the 1980s as a result of the promotion of fertilizers and monoculture (or single crop) farming through subsidies.

The soil and land productivity were at an all-time low by the time Nekram took over his family's farms in the middle of the 1990s. His property was dependent on dangerous chemicals. Since it was impossible to convert his entire operation to organic farming immediately, he cut back on fertilizer use every year. He completely stopped using fertilizers in 2005.

To save his land from degradation and to provide consumers with nutritious food, another job at hand was to revive millet cultivation. Nekram didn't seek financial gain, so taking a chance suited him.

He traveled to different areas to learn about traditional agricultural methods from elderly farmers, some of whom were over 100 years old.
The bulk of them practiced Nau-Anaj, an indigenous religion. (nau is 9 and anaj is crop). On the same plot of ground, nine different foodgrains are grown using an intercropping or mixed farming technique. These products are a mixture of creepers, lentils, cereals, and vegetables.

"People have become aware after the announcement of the International Year of Millets," Sharma said in praise of the "International Year of Millets 2023." In the past, when people obtained their food straight from the jungles, there were fewer diseases. Nowadays, people engage in unethical behavior to make money, which is leading to a lot of diseases in farm products.  The resolution at the UNGA designating 2023 as the "International Year of Millets" was spearheaded by the Indian government, and it received backing from 72 other nations.

Also Read:- Inspirational Story of Padma Shri Recipients "Kisaan Chachi" Rajkumari Devi