FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Sowing the seeds of success by innovation
M.J. PRABU
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The farming sector has become a commercial hub for foreign companies
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— Photo: Special Arrangement
Perseverance: The Varanasi farmer, Prakash Singh, with his newly developed wheat plants.
EVEN SIX decades after attaining Independence, the country’s agriculture is plagued with numerous problems.
Though many experts are meeting, talking, and drawing several plans for the farmers, a farmer’s daily life continued to be a perpetual struggle.
A farmer knows best
But even amidst this struggle for survival, the grit and determination of a few who discover something new ,becomes an important lesson that a farmer knows best, and if left undisturbed, he can not only overcome his problems (nature induced) but also teach others how to do the same.
Mr. Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi, a small farmer in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh despite being visually impaired is showing the way to a number of farmers across the country. In his three and a half acres he cultivates wheat, paddy and pigeon pea.
Not market dependant
“Agriculture should not be market dependant, especially for its input.
“As a small drive to infuse awareness among others about this, I distributed a number of seeds of crop varieties developed by me to several hundreds of farmers of many states," says Mr. Prakash.
“His efforts were acknowledged by the nation when he was honoured by the then President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, with a national award under the National Innovation Foundation," says Prof Anil Gupta, Vice Chairman, National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Ahmedabad.
“Farmers must become self reliant. Only then villages can become self sufficient. This in turn will make the nation achieve record production in food grain. When we have all the necessary resources here why should we import?
“Today there are several seed companies which are trying to market their seeds to poor and gullible farmers with a promise of a high yield.
Commercial hub
“The farming sector has become a commercial hub for foreign companies which leave no stone unturned to market their seeds and other inputs,” stresses Mr. Prakash.
“Many of these companies depend on farmers and fields to multiply their seeds, proving that seeds are produced in a farmer’s field and not in any factory or laboratory,” emphasises Mr. Gupta.
Varieties developed
More than 100 varieties of wheat, 10 of paddy, besides those of several other fruit and vegetables have been developed by the farmer.
These crop varieties are getting increasingly popular in Haryana as well, with a number of farmers coming forward to adopt them.
The crops are quite good and yield well and are often resistant to common pests and infestations,” says Dinesh Kumar, a farmer from Manoli village in Sonepat district. Mr. Prakash distributes his wheat seeds to farmers of Varanasiand Allahabad in U.P; Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Khargaon, Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Raipur, Bhilai, Dhamtari in Chattisgarh; Jalgaon, Yawatmal, Amrawati, and Pune in Maharashtra; and Kota, Bharatpur, Jaipur, and Sikar in Rajasthan.
Good appreciation
His new crop varieties have received appreciation in a Kisan mela (Farmer fair), and from Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, which tested his wheat varieties.
For more information readers can contact Mr. Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi, Vill Tadia, P.O., Jakikhani, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh- 2213058, mobiles: 9956941993, 9839253974 and 9451277640.
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