‘Promote organic farming to save mother earth’
VARANASI : A farmer, who is doing organic farming in Pindara area of Varanasi for the last 10 years, wants political leaders to appeal to their supporters to promote organic farming which is the need of the hour to save mother earth from harmful effect of chemical fertilizers.
Harishankar Singh Pappu, a progressive farmer of Thana village, says, “Organic farming is need of the hour and to save the mother earth from harmful effects of chemicals being used indiscriminately to get more yield. It is also not good for the health of soil.”
Harishankar started organic farming in 2009 on an acre of his land. At present, he does organic farming on 12 acres of land. He prepares a special solution mixing cow dung, cow urine, gram flour and jiggery, and uses it in the field to increase its fertility.
Harishankar said that he trained over 1000 farmers in organic farming free of cost in different parts of UP. Of them, 100 farmers are doing organic farming.
“Natural and organic farming is being promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi makes appeal for it time to time. The farmers should turn towards organic farming,” he says.
Harishankar says the political parties should incorporate organic farming issue in their poll manifestoes.
“Organic farming will help conserve indigenous cow species as cow dung and urine is used to increase fertility of the soil. Besides, practicing this in fields in the vicinity of the banks of the Ganga will also help check pollution in the river as chemical fertilizers used in farms eventually flow to Ganga during rains,” he adds.
Harishankar says, promoting cultivation of coarse crops is the most commendable step as these grains will provide complete nutrition to people as well as benefit farmers as there is a huge demand for these grains both in the country and in abroad.
Omprakash Patel, a resident of Phulpur, who does organic farming, says, “If organic farming is to be promoted, then subsidy on organic fertilizers should be increased so that the farmer stops using chemical fertilizers.”