Farmers switching over to natural farming

Subhash Rajta

tribune news service

Shimla, May 23

Around 10 per cent of farmers, including orchardists, have started practising Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF) on varying portions of their land in the state in a short span of two and a half years. “Out of 9.61 lakh agricultural families in the state, around 1.16 lakh families have adopted natural farming, including around 8,000 apple-growing families,” said Dr RS Chandel, executive director, Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojna.

This alternative method of farming was introduced in June 2018. “The objective was to harmonise nature with farming and enhance farmers’ income, mainly by bringing down his cost of cultivation. We have been able to bring down the cost of cultivation by around 40 per cent and that too without adopting all principles of the SPNP,” said Dr Chandel.

He said the rising cost of cultivation, in both chemical-based and organic farming, had led to a sharp decline in the margin of profit of farmers. “An apple grower spends Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per bigha on chemicals, with 10-12 sprays in a season. In the case of pomegranate, the sprays per season go up to even 18. In off-season vegetables, a farmer spends Rs 10,000-12,000 per bigha on chemicals,” said Dr Chandel, highlighting the ever-growing input cost. “No wonder, chemical-based agriculture is becoming unsustainable for many who have started looking at other options of livelihood,” said Dr Chandel.

The SPNF aims to end the dependence of farmers on the market for seeds and chemicals. “While ending their dependence for seeds on market will take some time, they don’t need to buy insecticides, fungicides and fertilisers any more. They are making these at home from organic things,” said Dr Chandel.

Some farmers are so impressed with natural farming that they brought their entire land under this method of agriculture. “I have brought my entire orchard under natural farming. Under chemical-based farming, my expenditure on insecticide, fungicide and fertilisers was around Rs 1.7 lakh. Now, I don’t have to spend on buying chemicals and fertilisers, that’s a big saving,” said Subhash Shadru from Rohru.

“In the absence of chemicals, my trees don’t dry up and are much healthier. Also, my fruit is much better in terms of nutrition and shelf life compared to that produced through chemical farming,” he said.

Happy with the response the SPNF is getting from the farmers, Dr Chandel says they suggest farmers to make a steady shift to natural farming.

“We want farmers to experience the benefits on a small portion of land first and then make the switch,” he said.

“Besides, we encourage farmers to get into multi-cropping. We suggest them to grow the main crop on 60 per cent land and keep the remaining portion for other crops. It saves the farmers from the uncertainties of the market,” said Dr Chandel.

Cuts cost of cultivation

The concept of Subhash Palekar Natural Farming was introduced in June 2018. The objective was to harmonise nature with farming and enhance farmers’ income, mainly by bringing down his cost of cultivation. It aims to end the dependence of farmers on the market for seeds and chemicals.