CHENNAI: Natural farming enthusiasts are elated at the union Budget’s ambition to facilitate one crore farmers to shift to natural farming in three years. However, farmers say that without subsidies or incentives, the idea may not find many takers.
“Shifting from inorganic farming to natural farming needs at least two years to remove chemical residues from the soil to make it fit for organic farming. For this work also, the government should give financial support to the farmers,” said VS Dhanapathi, an organic farmer from the Pudukkottai district.
“Initially, the yield in natural farming is likely to be lesser. So, the produce must be given a higher price,” he said, adding that currently there is much support for inorganic farmers from the government, but none for organic farmers.
Another suggestion put forward was to ensure the government facilitates the transition, and not insist on farmers. “For example, in certain areas where people like tribal communities live, pesticides are never used. The government should identify such areas and declare them immediately as natural farming zones so that they can be living models to other parts of the State on how to shift to natural farming,” said R Jagannathan, founder of Nalla Keerai, an organisation for natural farming.
“In rain-fed irrigation areas, pesticides are required in minimum quantities. In those places, the government should facilitate farmers to avoid pesticides totally so that they could be converted into organic zones and can be models for natural farming,” said Jagannathan.
“The task of converting farmers to adopt organic farming or convincing them to use fewer chemical fertilizers is put on the states with no fund allocation. Even converting 25% of farmers to natural farming is not an easy job since it will take many years. The Centre should initiate natural farming by providing funds directly to the states,” said R Selvam, coordinator, of Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers Federation, Arachalur in Erode district, who has three decades of experience in organic farming.
Another issue the government needs to address is bringing down the use of pesticides. “To encourage natural farming, the government should take initial steps like imposing restrictions on the use of pesticides and weedicides. In Tamil Nadu, the use of pesticides is high in Ooty and Krishnagiri where horticulture products are cultivated on large extents of land,” added Jagannathan.
“The initiative to make one crore farmers adopt natural farming is an ambitious plan. But it could turn out to be a mere verbal decoration since this announcement has not been supported by fund allocation. There also have to be incentives for the farmers who adopt natural farming. The PM Aasha scheme, Market Intervention Scheme and Price Support Scheme which were there for ensuring MSP to farmers have been wiped out now. These are serious steps which have a big impact on agriculture,” said Ananthoo, coordinator of the Safe Food Alliance.