Bangalore: Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inaugurated the Organic Farming Training programmed organized by SSIAST (Sri Sri Institute of Agriculture Sciences and Technology), on 22nd January, 2015, which went on till 24th January. During his inaugural address, Sri Sri said, “In modern times, farmers are using excessive fertilizers and pesticides in their fields, which are affecting the quality of the crop, leading to consumer health problems. These are also affecting the quality of the soil, and the lands are gradually losing their fertility.”
Comparing the quality of Indian food products with those of America, Gurudev said, “Indian food is more palatable than American food because excessive chemicals are used there.” Gurudev honored 29 farmers of Karnataka for adopting organic and natural methods of farming and thus saving soil fertility.
More than 1500 farmers from 28 districts were trained in organic farming which uses natural organic material as fertilizer. Since it is prepared with the products available with the farmers in the villages, it is also called natural farming or zero budget farming.
After completing the training, the farmers will be able to adopt organic methods of farming and prepare natural pesticides and fertilizers for cultivation. Out of the 1500 farmers who took part, many have decided to shift to organic farming, realizing the fact that chemicals affect the quality of soil when excessively used, said Nagappa, a 38-year-old participant, from Javargi taluka of Gulbarga district.
Around 600 farmers have already started practicing organic farming. There is yet another training coming up for farmers who have already implemented the methods, said Tanushree, office bearer of the organizing trust.
Reported by: Malappa D. Belamge
