TTD to purchase organic food grains for its needs: Chairman YV Subba Reddy

Tirupati: TTD will purchase only organic food products from the farmers of cow-based natural farming for all its requirements including temples and other establishments and institutions, said TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy while speaking at the valedictory of the two-day Go Sammelan here on Sunday.

Stating that TTD will intensify its efforts for cow protection, he said all the Go Salas in the two Telugu-speaking states will be affiliated with TTD Gosamrakshana Sala in Tirupati for providing required support including financial for their development. TTD will also organise Go Sammelan in the districts to sensitise the farmers and other sections on the imperative need of cow protection, he said adding that Gudiko Gomatha programme for providing a cow and calf will be extended to all temples in the country with the support of Peetadhipathis and Matadhipathis. Simultaneously, Reddy said TTD in association with Rythu Sadhikara

Samstha (RySS) will promote Go Adharitha Vyvasayam (Cow-based Agriculture) in a big way and informed that to begin with TTD entered into an agreement with natural farming farmers in YSR Kadapa, Prakasam, Anantapur and Kurnool districts for supply of Bengalgram to provide remunerative price to farmers. In this connection, he said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was according priority to natural farming and farmers' welfare, supporting the TTD efforts also as he is from a farmer's family and his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was very fond of farmers and cows.

Expressing concern on the ill effects of chemical-based agriculture, he cautioned that in the coming 20 years, the mankind was going to witness a major threat to nature and biodiversity due to indiscriminate usage of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides resulting in food production of less and less nutritious values. Against this backdrop, he said TTD with the ordainment of Lord Venkateswara embarked on an ambitious initiative of popularising cow-based natural farming which alone could prevent the destruction being brought by chemical-based agriculture.

TTD EO Dr K S Jawahar Reddy said an action plan will be prepared for the development 600 Gosalas after a meeting with them soon. Informing that about three lakh acres would be covered under natural farming in AP and TS, he hoped that TTD decision to use only organic products would see other temples also follow suit, result in increase of natural farming crop area. Giving a brief account of TTD's new initiatives including replacing the unproductive water intensive wild trees on Tirumala hills with fruit bearing trees, social service activities like new hospitals, he said TTD along with cows will also provide bulls to farmers engaged in natural farming.

Local MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said cow-based farming was the only ray of hope for mankind to save itself from the destruction of chemical based agriculture which is the ill effect of globalisation. Lauding TTD launching Go Samrakshana as a movement, he said in the long run it would usher in a new era benefitting all. Marking the occasion, TTD Chairman, EO and MLA released CDs of the songs penned by cine poet Jonnavithula Ramalingeswar Rao on Gomatha greatness.