Though zero budget natural farming (ZBNF), the much-needed way of farming as a solution to a lot of problems surrounding agriculture and food safety, has been taken up by many over the past few years, activists feel that the State and its farmers have a long way to go.
Ch. Trinadh, a natural farming activist, observed that the government needs to step up efforts to promote Subhash Palekar’s way of natural farming among farmers in the State in a big way.
Mr. Trinadh penned the book Prakruthi Vyavasayam in Subhash Palekar’s way. The book serves as a complete guide for any person interested in ZBNF, as it includes everything from the basics of natural farming to success stories of natural farmers across the State.
The government should streamline the natural farming initiative by adopting Mr. Palekar’s way of natural farming. "First, the government should provide cows, which are the key resource for natural farming to interested farmers. It should also provide natural and traditional seeds of various crops to the farmers instead of continuing to promote hybrid seeds," he said.
The government is currently dependent on the Community Resource Persons (CRPs) employed to reach out to the farmers at the ground and motivate them towards turning to ZBNF, he said.
Mr. Trinadh said the government should buy all the produce of the ZBNF farmers in the State so as to instil confidence among them.
He said a few agriculture officers across the State were following the Subhash Palekar’s ZBNF without any deviation, and the results were overwhelming.
