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Farmers urged to opt for organic farming

By Our Staff Correspondent

The former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, with D. Veerendra Heggade of Dharmasthala at the Krishi mela organised by Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project at Kateel near Mangalore on Friday, as K. Abhayachandra Jain, Chief Whip in the Assembly, looks on.

KATEEL (DAKSHINA KANNADA), JAN. 7. The former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Digvijay Singh on Friday suggested farmers with small holdings to take up non-farming activities and integrated farming in organic method.

Addressing a gathering at the "Krishi mela" organised by Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) here, Mr. Singh said that larger areas under agriculture are splitting into small holdings due to various factors. In such a situation, it may not be possible to earn huge profit by agriculture.

So farmers should take up non-farming activities. In the agriculture land they should concentrate on cultivating inter crops, he said.

Living condition

Mr. Singh said that the living condition of farmers in the country has remained static over the years while the condition of people in other sectors has improved. The profit earned by agriculturists has declined in the recent years, he said.

Mr. Singh said that farmers should concentrate on production of more yield in small holdings. Agriculture scientists should do more research on this aspect.

He expressed concern over excess use of groundwater and use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture.

Mr. Singh said that farmers in Madhya Pradesh in general are embracing organic farming. Farmers in 3,500 villages follow organic farming. They have stopped using chemical fertilisers and chemical pesticides. The yield has not come down by following organic method of agriculture. "Production remained at the same level even after stopping the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides," he said.

Mr. Singh said that agricultural commodities grown by organic method fetched 20 per cent more price in market.

He appreciated the activities of SKDRDP with particular reference for taking up the marketing of home products manufactured by rural women under "Siri" project of SKDRDP.

The Chairman and Managing Director of Corporation Bank, V. K. Chopra, said that the bank is ready to come out with new products to help farmers in the region. The "Krishi mela" has made farmers shed their inhibitions and come out to learn new in agriculture.

The Chief Whip in the Assembly, K. Abhayachandra Jain, the president of SKDRDP, D. Veerendra Heggade, Arun Jain, member, Minorities Commission, Madhya Pradesh, spoke.

In all, 16 power tillers were given away to the beneficiaries of SKDRDP on the occasion.

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