Farmers adopt nature farming in 66,000 hectares in state

Guntur: The state government will encourage the Zero Budget Nature Farming (ZBNF) to reduce cost of cultivation and to get a better price to farmers. The farmers who produced paddy and chillis under nature farming are getting good price.

At present about five lakh farmers adopted ZBNF and cultivating various crops in 66,000 hectares in the state. Subhash Palekar Guru of ZBNF and agriculture scientists are giving advises and suggestions to the farmers who started nature farming. The farmers are feeling that agriculture was viable if the cost of cultivation reduced.

Deputy director of agriculture T Subba Rao said, "The cost of cultivation in ZBNF is less and the farmers can save upto Rs 7,000-Rs 10,000 per acre. The farmers will prepare Jeevamrutam and Kashayams and they need not purchase fertilizers.

As the investment is less, agriculture is viable and consumers are ready to pay premium price for paddy produced under the ZBNF. We have purchased 8 tonnes of rice from the farmers to prepare for ZBNF and the farmers sold the rice at Rs 50 a kg."

Joint director of agriculture M Vijaya Bharati said, "The government is encouraging the farmers to start ZBNF to make agriculture viable. Jeevamrutam and kashayams are within the reach of farmers. "