Hamirpur: The much ambitious Natural farming scheme of the state government has started showing excellent results and as many as nine thousand farmers of the district has adopted this scheme to grow poison-free food grains.
The department of agriculture has given a subsidy of fifty-five lakh rupees to the farmers for purchasing indigenous cow and other related items for their crops.
?Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojana? is a very ambitious scheme being run for the farmers. Under this, crops are grown mainly by the natural farming method by Subhash Palekar. With this method, the farmer is producing poison-free food grains without using any kind of chemical fertilizers, pesticides in growing the crop. There is no need to buy any resource from the market for natural farming. In such a situation, there is no dependence of the farmer on the market, due to which the cost of production has also been reduced by one and a half to two times.
It’s worth mentioning here that in order to increase the production of crops and raising the standard of living of the farmers, many Kisan Mitra schemes are being run by the State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.
Through the Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojana, farmers have not only turned towards poison-free farming, but their economic status has also increased due to getting better yield.
Moreover, by not using chemicals, the natural farming scheme has been helping in controlling the environment, soil, and water pollution. The fertility of the soil and the number of beneficial micro-organisms has also increased because only natural farming formula based on indigenous cow dung and urine requires less water, due to which good crops are procured despite a deficiency in rains.
Beejamrut, Jeevamrut, Achchan, Vapapa, and co-cropping are the main pillars of natural farming. Farmers are fulfilling the resources used in this farming from their homes, fields or village, because it mainly consists of indigenous cow dung, urine, and trees and plants available nearby such as Neem, Darek, Mango, Guava, Aak, and Marigold, etc. are used.
The state government has also been providing help to the farmers under the scheme and a subsidy of 25 thousand rupees is being given for purchasing an Indian breed cow, five thousand rupees on its transportation and two thousand rupees per family on mandi fee.
Besides, a sum of eight thousand rupees are being provided for making pucca floors of the gaushala and pit for collecting the urine, Rs 2,250 on drums for making various inputs and for collection and Rs 10 thousand per family for opening the resource store.
Dr. Neeti Soni, the Project officer of the ATMA project says that in Hamirpur district a sum of about Rs 54 lakh 76 thousand has been provided under these items in the last two years. Out of this, about 23 lakh rupees were provided for purchase and transportation of indigenous cows, 13 lakh 77 thousand rupees drums etc., 11 lakh 66 thousand rupees as a gratuity on Gaushala lining and six lakh 25 thousand rupees on resource stock.
She claims that the natural farming is being done in about 525-hectare area in the district and at present about eight thousand farmers have joined this method. Mainly they are giving priority to mixed farming.
In this, production of maize and soybean or okra French bean etc. is being taken along with maize in Kharif season.
During the Rabi season, wheat, mustard, gram, spinach along with coriander, fenugreek or radishes are being produced. Due to this, if one crop is damaged due to some reason, it is being easily compensated by the other.
Deputy Commissioner, Debasweta Banik was happy with the scheme and says that through natural farming, the farmers of the district had not only increased their financial position but were also providing nutritious food to the society , thereby giving immunity to the human being and the animals which was the need of the hour.