For ages, farmers learnt agricultural technologies from their parents or their neighbours. But, during 1950 to1960 and later, modern technologies ( green revolution) were introduced. The agricultural extension workers from State Agriculture Department and the Agricultural Universities started teaching these modern technologies in agriculture. Farmers accepted them very easily.
These modern technologies were considered ‘easier’, for instance, using tractors for land preparation, instead of ploughing with bullocks. Moreover, the tractors are also used for transporting inputs like farm yard manures as well as agriculture produce. Also, it was easier for farmers to apply purchased chemical fertilizers than applying ten cartloads of compost. Similarly, the use of chemical plant protection ‘poisons’ readily available in the market was less tedious than preparing neem, tobacco based repellants and other herbal insect deterrents. Added to this, the state governments subsidized heavily the agricultural inputs like tractors, seed, fertilizers and pesticides, apart from providing loans for chemical based farming operations.
May be, in the initial years, farmers harvested high yields, as the soils were rich in micro nutrients and soil humus. After 1980, that is after 20 years of following green revolution period cultivation methods, crop yields started declining rapidly. Now, the government and also the farmers are feeling the pressure. As the extension workers have been primarily trained in green revolution technologies, the present generation only knows chemical based farming technologies. Adding to the misery, the system of integrated agricultural practices like tree cropping, animal husbandry, crop cultivation, practices like compost preparation and seed preservation have been ignored and given up. That is the reason, farmers presently are suffering huge losses and loosing interest in farming.
Even though the government and the farmers want to go back to organic farming and integrated agriculture system, scarcity of knowledge is the big problem. Fortunately, some innovative farmers and those who were to sustain only on agriculture, adopted organic farming by learning from aged farmers, particularly old women. By trial and error, they have been able to practice agriculture, profitably.
During the past eight to ten years, these practices are being shared among other farmers. This is being done through publishing their experiences in magazines, and through Radio and television programmes. Apart from these, the farmer groups are being organized at District and Taluk levels under the guidance of NGO’s and even the Agriculture Department Extension services. Almost, all the District Agriculture Offices organize farmer’s tours to the farms of successful farmers and also to the university farms, so as to enable farmers to learn and adopt some good practices.
In Karnataka, in Tumkur, Mysore and Bangalore Rural districts, monthly meetings are being organized since 6 years. Here the host farmer shares his/ her experiences to the participants on his filed how Sustainable Agriculture is being practiced. In Tamil Nadu, in Sathyamangala, Erode district, under the Tamil Nadu Agriculture Technologists Association, regular 2 day trainings are being conducted for 50-60 farmers every month, since 6 years. Now, for the benefit of farmers belonging to different districts, the same group has decided to hold trainings at different districts every month. Large number of farmers including women farmers are participating in such district trainings. Recently, Sivagangai District Organic Farmers Association, has been formed under the leadership of ASSEFA and Association of Sarvodaya workers. The association has been organizing trainings in Sustainable Agriculture, animal husbandry and horticulture to save underground water. This water is presently being abused in large quantities by sugarcane growers.
Similarly, in puliyangudi in Tirunelvelli District, promotion of neglected species of drought resistant crops like micro millets is being encouraged for improving water and soil conservation, save the country from food scarcity and farmers from losses in agriculture. I think, presently, much importance is given only to a few crops to benefit the big multi-national companies. Hundreds of locally available nutritive as well as medicinal species are neglected and ignored that could have resisted droughts, pests and nutritional scarcities. As far as possible, the states should discourage industrial type of animal husbandry system to save people from hunger. More and more groups should be encouraged even at cluster village level to spread the knowledge of sustainable agriculture quickly and through cheaper mechanisms.
L.Narayana Reddy
Srinivasapura
Via Marelanahlli
Hanabe Post
Doddaballapur Taluk
KARNATAKA
Phone : 080-27601103
Mobile : 9343533632
09367713963
