Green Revolution which in the initial phase had led to dramatic spurt in yields, especially of foodgrains like wheat and rice, is unsustainable in the long run as it increases dependence of the farmers on inputs from outside, proponent of nature-based farming Subhash Palekar said here on Monday.
Underscoring the importance of sustainability in agriculture, he called upon farmers to shun dependence on chemical fertilizers and other inputs from outside. Speaking at the inaugural of a two-day workshop on his way of sustainable agriculture organised for farmers from North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, he said his way was suitable for all agro-climatic zones in the country and had been successfully adopted by thousands of farmers.
“After the so-called green revolution the local base of agriculture has been destroyed in the country, with hybrid seeds and overemphasis on use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase yields, which has led to the ever-increasing cost of cultivation,” he said .
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“It is the time to go back to the basics. Nature has provided all that is necessary in a given eco system and we should be conscious of the bio-diversity and try to preserve it. We can teach farmers to carry on cultivation, with minimal costs, using local seeds and shunning the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The cost of cultivation can be recouped through inter crops and the main crop will be a bonus to the farmer," he said.
A couple of farmers practising the methods advocated by Palekar in Andhra Pradesh spoke on their experience. Kranthi, an engineering graduate cultivating a 45-acre holding in Vizianagaram district, was very enthusiastic about the Palekar’s methods. Suryanarayana Raju alias Fakir Raju from East Godavari is equally enthusiastic about the methods.