The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has taken a decision to procure products made by using ‘natural farming methods’ to meet its future requirements.
The TTD procures grains and vegetables in huge quantities for making ‘prasadam’ at the Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala and to provide food to the devotees, students and patients daily at its institutions and hospitals.
The announcement came from the TTD Chairman Y.V. Subba Reddy at the closing ceremony of ‘Gau Maha Sammelan’ here on Sunday, where he assured to procure products such as rice, jaggery and turmeric grown without using chemicals.
The national convention, in which 30 seers took part along with 3,000 farmers practising cow-based agriculture, aimed at propagating cow-based farming as a means to restore soil fertility and human health.
On the ‘Gudiko Gomatha’ scheme that offers a cow and a calf to temples and mutts, Mr. Subba Reddy wanted the seers and Veda Pathasalas to come forward.
Mr. Reddy also underlined the importance being given by the government to the farmers’ welfare and natural farming methods.
Linking of ‘goshalas’
TTD Executive Officer K.S. Jawahar Reddy announced to link the 600 ‘goshalas’ in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with the Sri Venkateswara Gosamrakshanasala, and extend them financial assistance.
With 3,000 acres under natural farming, he exuded confidence that the TTD’s annual requirement of 6,000 tonnes of rice, 7,000 tonnes of pulses, and 6,000 tonnes of cow ghee could be easily met.
Patanjali Yogpeeth founder Baba Ramdev seconded the TTD’s proposal to the Union government to recognise cow as the national animal.
Apart from a specific request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, he also appealed to all the Chief Ministers to support the cause.
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham pontiff Sri Vijayendra Saraswati performed ‘Go Puja’ to a ‘Kapila’ cow and calf in the ‘Godhooli’ event, which stood out as a special attraction with native breeds such as ‘Kankrej’, ‘Punganur’, ‘Kangeyam’, Ongole, ‘Gir’, ‘Sahiwal’ and ‘Hallikar’.
Tirupati MLA B. Karunakar Reddy asked the TTD to be a guiding light by supporting ‘cow-based farming’, while former bureaucrat Vijay Kumar maintained that three crops a year with organic methods could tackle global food shortage and address hunger elimination goals.
