Call for farmers to adopt natural farming

Nandyal: District Collector G Rajakumari has urged all the farmers across the district to adopt natural farming and encouraged farmer association members and farmers to embrace sustainable farming practices.

Speaking at Farmer Empowerment Organisation – Participatory Natural Farming programme, as a chief guest, held at PGRS Hall of the Collectorate on Thursday, she stressed the importance of shifting towards natural farming, pointing out excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is degrading fertile soil and adversely affecting human health.

She warned that chemicals in agriculture can lead to severe health issues, including kidney and lung diseases, ultimately reducing human lifespan. She also highlighted the impact of modern food habits on future generations, stating that improper dietary practices could lead to serious health problems.

The Collector noted that in the past, people used to cook food in clay pots, whereas nowadays, cooking in pressure cookers allows metal residues to seep into the food, affecting health. She stressed that following traditional farming methods not only ensures physical well-being but also prevents many health complications. While natural farming may require more labor, it significantly reduces input costs and allows farmers to cultivate crops economically. She encouraged all farmers to adopt natural farming practices.

The Collector suggested that if farmers enhance the value of their organically grown crops through branding and proper marketing, they could achieve higher profits. She urged district farmers to focus on producing quality crops with branding potential.

Additionally, Collector Rajakumari instructed the officials to set up kitchen gardens in the premises of the district’s 1,633 Anganwadi centers and 86 welfare hostels to cultivate leafy vegetables for nutritional use in meals. She called upon agricultural and allied department staff to work towards transforming Nandyal into a Natural Farming District.

Following this, agricultural officers and scientists provided awareness on different farming methodologies related to natural agriculture.

Prior to the meeting, natural farmers Bala Maddileti, Pagadam Venkateswarlu, and Marthamma shared their experiences. They spoke about the high nutritional value found in indigenous rice varieties and introduced farmers to ten traditional rice varieties, including Pillai Samba, Pongari Pongari Rice, Mysore Mallika Chitti, Chitti Muthyalu, Kalanamma, and Shivuni Samba. They also suggested establishing of a village mall in the district would ensure the availability of all types of seeds for farmers.

Earlier, the Collector visited an exhibition showcasing natural farming products and reviewed the displayed items.

District Agriculture Officer Murali Krishna, Horticulture Officer Nagaraju, District Sericulture Officer Parameshwari, KVK Scientist Balaraju, DRDA PD Sridhar Reddy, and other officials from agriculture and allied sectors attended the event.