`Adopt natural farming process'

Adopt natural farming process'

`Desist from taking up organic farming'
`Chemical fertilizers destroy the fertility of soil and have adverse affect on people'
Government urged to make diploma course in natural farming for agricultural graduates
Bharath Krishi Rathna award to be presented to Subhash Palekar
BACK TO NATURE: Sanehalli Panditharadya Swamiji is watering a plant to mark the inauguration of the workshop on natural farming here on Saturday. Jayamruthyanjaya Swamiji and Minister Ravindranath and agricultural scientist Subhash Palekar are seen.
DAVANGERE: Minister for Sugar and Rural Water Supply S.A. Ravindrananth has called upon farmers to adopt natural farming methods and desist from taking up organic farming and use of chemical fertilizers.
Inaugurating a workshop on natural farming here on Saturday, Mr. Ravindranath said farmers in earlier days used to use cow dung as manure and used to get good yield. "Unfortunately, farmers are using chemical fertilizers, which not only destroy the fertility of lands but also has adverse affect on people," he said.
Farmers' leader K.S. Puttannaiah urged farmers to take an oath not to take up organic farming and instead rely only on natural farming.
`No practical knowledge'
He said that most of the agricultural graduates had no practical knowledge about "correct agricultural practices" and suggested to the Government to make mandatory for them to undergo a diploma course in natural farming.
He praised Subhash Palekar, an agricultural scientist who is a champion of natural farming, and said that Mr. Palekar had derived 140 tonnes of sugarcane in one acre of his land through natural farming.
Mr. Puttannaiah said the Raitha Sangha had instituted "Bharath Krishi Rathna" award to mark the silver jubilee of the sangha from this year, and Mr. Palekar would be the first recipient of the award. The sangha would give the award every year to scientists who achieve remarkable success in agriculture. The award would be presented to Mr. Palekar at a function in Nargund on July 21.
Mr. Palekar said the Government's unscientific agricultural import policy, practice of capital-intensive chemical farming and absence of proper marketing facilities for agricultural produce were the reasons for the increase in the number of suicide by farmers in the country.
He said total dependence on capital-intensive chemical farming, which required the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, had not only burdened the small and marginal farmers but also spoiled the fertility of the soil.
He underlined the need for popularising natural farming to make both the soil and the agricultural produce toxic-free.
Organic farming
He said that organic farming and use of vermin-compost was as dangerous and vermin-compost had the potential to rob the soil of natural fertility as it contained poisonous heavy metals such as nickel, cadmium and mercury. He said that organic farming was captive-intensive and less productive compared with natural farming.

Natural agriculture

We are trying Mr. Subhash Palekar method of natural farming since two years. Native cows are very important factors in this type of farming. We prepare "JEEVAAMBRUTA" as palekar calls and use it to our farm every month . cowdung and its urine are the main ingredients are in " jeevambrutha". Mulching is very important here. Its really very helpful in fertailing the land. Our experience in this method is very possitive.

ಪಾಳೇಕರ್ ಹೇಳುವ ಜೀವಾಮೃತ ದಲ್ಲಿ ಆಕಳಸಗಣಿ ಜೊತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅದರ ಗಂಜಲಹಾಗೂ ಬೆಲ್ಲ ಮತ್ತು ಕಡಲೆಹಿಟ್ಟನ್ನು ಹಾಕಬೇಕು. ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಆನಂದ್ ನಮ್ಮೂರಿಗೆ ಬಂದು ಈ ವಿಧಾನವನ್ನು ವಿವರಿಸಿ ಈ ಕೆಲಸಕ್ಕೆ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ಹುರುದುಂಬಿಸಿದರು. ಎರಡು ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ನಾವು ಈ ವಿಧಾನವನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಈ ಮೂಲಕವಾಗಿ ನಾವು ಮಣ್ಣನ್ನೂ, ಗಿಡವನ್ನೂ ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಕೃತಿಯ ಅನೇಕತರಹದ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ಈಗತಾನೆ ಕಾಣಲು ಪ್ರಾರಂಭಿಸಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ........ ನಿರಾಳವಾಗಿ ಕೃಷಿಯನ್ನು ಮಾಡಲು ಇದು ಹೆದ್ದಾರಿಮಾರ್ಗವಾಗಿ ನಮಗೆ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಅನೇಕರು ಈಗಾಗಲೇ ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿರುವ ಸುದ್ದಿಗಳೂ ಬರುತ್ತಿವೆ.