The Hindu : Changing pattern hits traditional farming

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 12, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Changing pattern hits traditional farming

MYSORE, JAN. 11. Non-government organisations working in the farming sector have drawn attention to the crisis in the sector due to the changing cropping patterns that lay stress on monoculture and commercial crops in Mysore and surrounding regions.

The change in cropping pattern, according to the organisations, has resulted in the erosion of traditional knowledge base and crop variety on the one hand while increasing food insecurity of farmers on the other.

It has also resulted in loss of agricultural biodiversity causing nutritional imbalance among the poor people. This is said to be directly connected to the incidences of suicide among farmers in the State and elsewhere.

A section of farmers and senior agricultural scientists seem to endorse these views attributing the emerging crisis to market forces and the preference of consumers, which has forced farmers to tailor their crop variety to meet the demands.

A case in point is the reluctance of farmers in south Karnataka, including Mysore, Mandya and Chamarajanagar districts, to cultivate ragi on a large scale.

Though reckoned to be a drought-resistant, stable and reliable crop, farmers continue to repose faith in water-intensive crops such as rice, wheat and commercial crops such as sugarcane at a risk.

This is a fact admitted by farmers themselves and justified on the grounds that these crops are lucrative.

This not only affects the food security of farmers but also contributes to nutritional imbalance among the economically weaker sections of society. Farmers belonging to the Kabini Raitha Hitarakshana Horata Samithi point out that a liberal use of chemical fertilizers and belief in monoculture seem to be the panacea for a majority, and it is a conviction prevalent since at least three decades. Hence, the new generation of farmers has opted green revolution disregarding traditional agricultural practices.

The Janata Dal (S) activist and President of the Raitha Hitharakshana Horata Samithi, Mallesh, pointed out that many local variety of crops had been lost to posterity or did not find favour with the new generation of farmers and ragi was an example.

In the earlier times, ragi served two purposes and was a source of food security for people and the straw came in handy as fodder for cattle.

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Karnataka