Organic farming spreading roots in AP

As many as 10,778 villages under 3,000 panchayats in State are witnessing a change as they take up farming devoid of synthetic fertiliser, pesticides
Around 1.6 million farmers in 10,788 villages under 3,000 panchayats have taken up  natural farming in the State. They use kashayams and jeevamruthams for farming | Express
Around 1.6 million farmers in 10,788 villages under 3,000 panchayats have taken up natural farming in the State. They use kashayams and jeevamruthams for farming | Express

GUNTUR: As India recently celebrated the 75th Independence anniversary, as many as 10,778 villages in 3,000 panchayats in Andhra Pradesh are witnessing transformational changes through natural farming, thanks to the AP Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF).

A 36-year-old farmer from Jonnalagadda, A Rami Reddy, is among many, for whom natural farming has been life-changing. After suffering a heart attack at the age of 32, he was suggested to eat healthy. Later, he came across the APCNF programme.

Reminiscing his first encounter with natural farming, Rami Reddy said, “In 2018, the agriculture department officials visited our village and explained about natural farming and its benefits. Since then, there has been no stopping. Though we have to work hard, I decided to switch to natural farming completely. Along with more profits, I’m very healthy and feel content to provide healthier food to the people,” he added.

Following in his footsteps, now about 230 farmers are practising natural farming in Jonnalagadda and 400 more are ready to join the team.This statewide agroecology programme has been implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha and the State government since 2016. This transformative initiative consists of universal principles of agroecology, local, traditional and context-specific practices. So far, 1.6 million farmers are practising natural farming on 4.60 lakh hectares of land in the State.

Speaking to TNIE, Rythu Sadhikara Samstha vice-chairman T Vijaya Kumar said the current agriculture practices driven by the green revolution of the 1960s are crumbling due to shifting weather patterns. These practices have also become a major reason for soil degradation, loss of organic matter, food scarcity, food with chemical residues, reduced nutrients and global warming, increasing costs of cultivation, frequent crop failures and market uncertainties.

In response to the current decline in agriculture productivity coupled with poor resilience of agriculture production systems, the State government turned to natural farming and initiated the APCNF, he added. It is a holistic land-managed practice that leverages the power of photosynthesis in plants to close the carbon cycle and build soil health, crop resilience and nutrient density.

The main principles of the APCNF are to cover the soil with crops 365 days, minimal disturbance of soil, use biostimulants as necessary catalysts, diverse crops, including 15-20 various crops in the same land, integrate animals into farming, increase the diversity of organic residues, pest management through better agronomic practices, botanical extracts, which helps farmers to cultivate nutritious food and increase their profits.

Chemical-based fertilisers and pesticides are replaced by home-prepared kashayams and jeevamruthams. These act as biostimulants, soil microbial enhancers and bio inoculants, which helps in increasing soil fertility, said APCNF Guntur district project manager Raja Kumari.

Biostimulants prepared using cow dung, kitchen waste and other natural materials enhance soil fertility and provide required nutrients to plants, she added. The key benefits of the APCNF are reduced costs of cultivation and risks, thereby generating regular income.

Women are the major driving force for the success of this initiative. Knowledge dissemination and handholding support is constantly provided through farmer-driven architecture, led by trained community resource persons, who are also farmers. They conduct meetings for women and local farmers and train them in preparation of kashayams and jeevamaruthams, and encourage them to set up kitchen gardens and eat healthy, chemical-free and nutritious food.

Venkayamma, a 35-year-old farmer of Jonnallagadda village is also a scientist in her own way, ‘inventing’ several concoctions. “I mix the same ingredients in various mixtures and various quantities to test their effectiveness. If I get the desired results, I’ll check it with the resource person and later use it in my field. Using these homemade fertilisers helps us to reduce investment,” she added. Venkayamma who received the Best Farmer Award also distributes her kashayams to others.

Natural farming also consumes less water. Farmers in semi-arid and rainfed regions are showing more interest in natural farming. Pre-monsoon dry sowing, a method used to provide green cover 365 days a year, is allowing the farmers not only to cultivate a single variety but also intercrops.Srinivasa Reddy, another farmer, who is cultivating paddy as the primary crop is cultivating seven varieties of intercrops on his seven acres.

“Natural farming is nothing but a way of life,” he said and added: “I have been practising pre-monsoon dry sowing for the last three years and the results are amazing. Not only do I get constant monthly income, but it also enhances soil fertility. Plants are more healthy in natural farming. I made `80,000 profit per acre from chilli, which is more than several chilli farmers who incurred severe losses due to pest infestations. But thanks to natural farming, we didn’t suffer much,” he explained

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com