‘Zero-budget farming can double food production’
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Farmer Krishnappa displaying arecanut cultivated throughzero-budget farming._— photo: M.A. SRIRAM
Advocate of zero-budget spiritual farming Subhash Palekar has claimed that farmers’ suicide in the country was observed among those practicing the chemical-farming methods.
Making a plea for encouraging chemical-free farming, Mr. Palekar said there were nearly 4 million farmers practicing zero-budget farming in the country who were prospering. Mr. Palekar, who interacted with media persons here on Saturday, said there was not a single example of farmers practicing zero-budget farming committing suicide, due to higher yield and low cost input. Zero-budget agriculture entails no external chemical inputs like fertilizers or insecticides.
While chemical farming methods yield about 12 quintals of basmati rice per acre, under the zero-budget farming method, yield was observed to be as high as 18 to 24 quintals, according to Mr. Palekar.
Similarly, about 6 quintals of wheat per acre was the normal yield while it was 18 quintals under zero-budget farming.
Despite the obvious advantages of alternative methods, not many farmers were switching over to it due to government policies which link all credit, marketing, and insurance facilities to chemical-based agricultural practices, said Mr. Palekar.
He noted that the alternative method of farming was more popular in Karnataka, than in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
He came down heavily on the organic farming policy of the State government on the grounds that it was more expensive than chemical-based agriculture. In Mysore region, nearly 400 to 500 farmers have switched to zero-budget agriculture.
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/zerobudget-farming-can-double-food-production/article6629032.ece
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