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Organic matters

Exhibition Society's all out efforts to educate people about organic food deserves a pat, says HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH

GOING GREEN Awareness on the right choice can go a long way PHOTO: RAJU. V

He has a sprawling farmhouse spread across 20 acres at Vellaturu, where he cultivates crops to supply quality seeds and saplings at affordable prices to local farmers. Ch. Subba Rao, the convenor of Vijayawada Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition Society, is a wiry and sprightly octogenarian gifted with an amazing wit and vision.

Common plants like mango, sappota, custard apple, sweet lime, gooseberry, millets are lentils are grown at the nursery to help the farmers improve their yield and also to teach them how to grow plants without using harmful pesticides and chemicals.

Realising that a large chunk of the present generation had no clue about the origin of the food it consumed, the society members decided to educate them about plants and fruit-bearing trees. As part of the annual exhibition, they embarked on a unique drive by cultivating 27 different varieties of sugarcane, mango, lime, corn and leafy vegetables in one corner of the sprawling grounds, in the first week of March. The plants have grown to a good height and some of them are even laden with fruits.

Saying no to doctor

This has been achieved without the use of chemicals and pesticides to drive home the point that only organic manure should be used to prevent the plants from pests and to ripen the fruits. Referring to the public ignorance, Rao says people spend huge amounts to clear medical bills.

But they fail to realise that use of organic manure could save their lot of money which goes towards the doctor's fee. "I am 80 years old and yet I never take medicines. I have toured all over India and I have plans to visit Manasarovar in the Himalayas soon," he says.

He has created a compost pit to demonstrate vermiculture- live worms let loose to make the soil ready to use. Parting with the secret formula to prevent pest attack on the plants or rotting of ripened fruits, he says a unique blend of cow dung, cow urine, cow milk, curd, ghee, coconut water, toddy, bananas and molasses, used in different proportions and mixed with five litres of water, is left to ferment for 20 days. It is then churned either a day before the full moon or a new moon day. The liquid thus generated can be used for six months. One litre of the mixture should be blended with 30 litres of water.

The stall also has on sale gardening tools and organic manure. To encourage farmers, they are asked to exhibit their produce at the expo.

At the end of the exhibition, prizes are given to the best samples. On display are huge pumpkins, palm oil, corn leaves, large sweet lime, lemons, yam, pendulums and watermelons.

Rao handles queries with patience and aplomb. "I am having tough time preventing children from plucking the fruits," he chuckles pointing to the fruit-laden trees.

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