C’nagar dist admin encourages farmers to adopt integrated farming techniques

Mysuru: In a first-of-its-kind experiment in Karnataka, the district administration in Chamarajanagar has initiated a programme to encourage farmers to adopt natural integrated farming methods as a solution to degradation of soil, excess use of fertilisers, pesticides, etc.
The aim is to help farmers overcome challenges such as climate change, market instability, and improve the value of their produce to realise the target of doubling the farm income.
The district administration has decided to support farmers by covering up to 75% of the cost of transitioning to these new farming techniques through various govt schemes and agencies, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).
Honnur Prakash, a raitha sangha leader involved in the initiative, said the goal is to encourage farmers to adopt natural farming with multiple crops and to add value to their farm products. He explained that under the initiative, the farmers will be trained and encouraged to return to traditional sustainable farming methods.
According to DC Shilpa Nag, the purpose of the new initiative is to help farmers overcome various challenges associated with the farming sector. “We want to train the master progressive farmers in every village to help other farmers on following the integrated farming practices, including natural farming, adopting climate change resilient crops, etc.
“Under the pilot project, we want to introduce the new type of farming model in at least 500 acres in 50 panchayats of the district. We want to select young, middle-aged farmers who will be the torchbearers of this change in the coming days. Even though industrialisation is picking up in the district, for the next 25 years, farming will remain as the primary occupation in the district. So, we want to help farmers move to natural integrated farming which will improve their income. The farmers will receive training and guidance from the scientists of the School of Natural Farming in Tumakuru,” she told STOI.
In the next phase, the district administration aims to encourage farmers to sell their farm products only after adding value, which will help them obtain better prices for their produce.