The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘Organic farming can avert fertilizer crisis’

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Saturday, Jun 21, 2008
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Karnataka

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‘Organic farming can avert fertilizer crisis’

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: The fertilizer crisis in the State could be alleviated with a shift to organic farming, Association for Promotion of Organic Farming secretary R. Kantharaja has said.

Despite the ill-effects of chemical fertilizers on health and the enormous costs incurred in their import, the government continues to encourage its use, he told presspersons here on Friday. “The Government should encourage non-profit organisations to promote techniques of organic farming among farmers, and to re-acquaint them with indigenous technologies for the protection and production of crops,” he said.

There have been some very encouraging examples of organic farming in the State, including the biovillages created in 175 taluks by the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Kantharaja said.

Successful models of organic farming have also been demonstrated by several organisations such as Punya Bhumi Yadiur in Hassan, Sri Kshetra in Dharmasthala and Krishi Prayoga Parivar in Shimoga. “These and other such groups have together produced 1,79,100 tonnes of organic manure through biomass and saved the use of chemical fertilizer to the tune of 49,000 tonnes during 2007-08,” he said. “These examples can be used as models across the State.”

However, farmers have come to believe that crops cannot be cultivated without chemical fertilizers, and the younger generation of farmers are fast losing their knowledge about harnessing biomass to enrich their fields, he said.

Mr. Kantharaja said the Government incurred huge expenditure in importing and subsidizing chemical fertilizers.

“The import cost of chemical fertilizers is Rs. 21,000 a tonne, and it is subsidised at Rs. 4,000 a tonne. More than 10 million tonnes of urea alone is imported by India every year,” he added.

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