JC sets practical example to promote organic farming

Adilabad: Adilabad district joint collector Krishna Reddy has transformed the four-and-half-acre space in his camp office into a farm and practically demonstrated how to cultivate vegetables organically to earn profits. The official till date earned Rs 18000 by selling the vegetables and credited the amount to the government. He is helped by his wife in raising the vegetables.

Instead of working out in the morning, Krishna Reddy two hours from 5 am in his garden, watering the plants, applying manure, and weeding out unwanted plants. Sometimes, he engages workers from outside to assist him in his farm work. He grows tomatoes, brinjals, cabbages, radish, green chilli and wheat. He has a vermicompost unit in the farm and utilises soil excavated from tank beds. Krishna Reddy does not use chemical fertilisers as he considers it harmful.

Organic manure supplies more nutrients needed by the plant. Application of chemical fertilisers would burden the farmer financially, whereas organic cultivation is cost-effective, apart from the vegetables being good for health, he says and further points out that the yield from organic cultivation is comparatively more and eco-friendly. So far, he has invested Rs 20,000 in raising the crop and has already earned Rs 18,000, which he promptly credited to the government.

The vegetables grown by Krishna Reddy are selling like hot cakes and getting exhausted within two to three hours. A consumer Lakshman expressed joy at organically cultivated vegetables being sold at the same price as that of others. The district joint collector is advocating farmers to switch over to organic cultivation and curtail the input costs which would enable to also earn profits.

Thotla Chinna Anjaiah