Visakhapatnam: While efforts are on to make Andhra Pradesh a national leader in zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF), ground-level progress shows that online 3 per cent of farmers are practising pesticide-free farming, according to data from the state agriculture department.
According to officials of the state agriculture department, there are nearly 60 lakh farmers in the state with around 80lakh hectares under cultivation. At present, only around 1.6 to 2 lakh farmers in the state are practising ZBNF. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh seem to be surging ahead in terms of adoption of the practice.
However, during a three-day ‘Organic Farm Mela’ in the city, Sankar Lingala from Rythu Mitra, said in his address that ZBNF has found subscribers in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh, where more people have taken it up than in other districts.
Speaking to TOI, Lingala said, “Awareness among people, efforts by NGOs in encouraging farmers has led to the progress in adoption of natural farming in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.”
GSNS Leelavathi, joint director of the Visakhapatnam agriculture department said that apart from farmers, consumers too are keen on procuring organic farm-based food nowadays.
“Consumers are ready to purchase organic products despite them being a bit pricey. The government is to achieve ZBNF in the next few years. Nearly 16,000 acres of farmland is under natural farming,” added Leelavathi.
Meawhile, environmentalist JV Ratnam said that since north-coastal Andhra Pradesh has vast tracts of Agency area, the practice of using natural fertilisers like cow dung, vermin compost and such other organic manure is more prevalent here than in other areas.
“Though natural farming may not give good produce initially, in the long run, the farms will yield desired results and improve soil fertility, thereby helping the environment,” Ratnam told TOI.
According to officials of the state agriculture department, there are nearly 60 lakh farmers in the state with around 80lakh hectares under cultivation. At present, only around 1.6 to 2 lakh farmers in the state are practising ZBNF. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh seem to be surging ahead in terms of adoption of the practice.
However, during a three-day ‘Organic Farm Mela’ in the city, Sankar Lingala from Rythu Mitra, said in his address that ZBNF has found subscribers in north-coastal Andhra Pradesh, where more people have taken it up than in other districts.
Speaking to TOI, Lingala said, “Awareness among people, efforts by NGOs in encouraging farmers has led to the progress in adoption of natural farming in Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam.”
GSNS Leelavathi, joint director of the Visakhapatnam agriculture department said that apart from farmers, consumers too are keen on procuring organic farm-based food nowadays.
“Consumers are ready to purchase organic products despite them being a bit pricey. The government is to achieve ZBNF in the next few years. Nearly 16,000 acres of farmland is under natural farming,” added Leelavathi.
Meawhile, environmentalist JV Ratnam said that since north-coastal Andhra Pradesh has vast tracts of Agency area, the practice of using natural fertilisers like cow dung, vermin compost and such other organic manure is more prevalent here than in other areas.
“Though natural farming may not give good produce initially, in the long run, the farms will yield desired results and improve soil fertility, thereby helping the environment,” Ratnam told TOI.