VIJAYAWADA: Natural farming is becoming a trend in Krishna district. Many farmers, who are practising modern farming techniques and achieving high yield, have shifted their focus to natural farming with a huge demand and price in the market.
The Krishna delta is considered as the rice bowl of Andhra Pradesh. Paddy cultivation is predominant across the district and farmers are getting up to 45 bags of yield every season. But still many farmers have started organic and natural farming this season.
M Raghunandan, a farmer from Komatigunta Laku village, said, “We ran behind yield and destroyed our soil by using chemicals. The cost of production has increased but MSP didn’t increase as per expenditure. We are investing around Rs 30,000 per acre and earning Rs 40,000. There is no benefit with high yield. Instead we have decided to go for natural farming which gives half of the yield with Rs 8,000 investment per acre.”
The majority of farmers in the district are selling their produce to the government as there is no demand in the open market. “We are selling the crops to the government and waiting for months to get money. No miller or trader is coming forward to buy from us directly. But organic and naturally grown paddy has high demand. Old variety paddy cultivated and harvested through natural farming techniques is getting Rs 2,675 per a bag of 75 kilogram in market,” said Bandi Rambabu, a farmer from Thotlavalluru, said.
Many corporate companies retailing organic products are approaching the farmers and Farmers Producers Organisations (FPO) and investing in cultivation. A few organisations have also started online classes on natural farming.
