ALUVA: Zero Budget Natural Farming, a new system adopted by Subash Palekar is slowly gaining momentum in the state as many young people like engineering graduates are found to be attracted to the system.Margam, a Koratty based Public Trust for Natural Farming has taken the initiative to spread awareness and promote Zero Budget Natural Farming all over Kerala, Dr Joshy Varghese, managing trustee, Margam, told Express.In this system of farming no monetary investment on the part of farmer is required for purchase of seeds, fertilizers and plant protection chemicals from the market.The farmer can produce his own seed or he may use seeds that are available with other farmers.More importantly, there is absolutely no place for fertilizers and plant protection chemicals in this scheme of farming.Dependence on hired labour is also reduced to the bare minimum as the system discourages inter-cultural operations.The whole philosophy behind the holistic system is to make the farmer self-reliant so that he is freed from the clutches of money lenders.This system also aims at avoiding conditions that leads to suicides among farmers and market dispensed high cost inputs.The salient features of Natural Farming include zero budget, near zero input costs which are recoverable and increasing soil fertility by natural means.The promoters of the Natural Farming claim that a single local cow can prove helpful in cultivating 30 acres of land, reducing water requirement to 20 per cent less than chemical and organic farming and reducing the electric power consumption.In natural farming, the yield and quality of produce are many times better and healthy, and attract better price.The need for the labour is much reduced.The spiritual way of farming based on Vedic principles, the natural farming has proved scientific and replicates the forest ecosystem.A harvest festival of natural farming under the leadership of Prakasan Palazhi, a businessman, was held in 2.5 acres of paddy field at Kandanad in Ernakulam District on Tuesday.A similar harvest festival will be held in 18 acres of Uzhinjal paddy field in Kannamputhoor, Puthukkad on Thursday.The cultivation was initiated by young engineering graduates and business entrepreneurs like Tibin Parackal, George K Jose, Manoj Mattil, Vipin Nochiyil and K R Rajeesh, under the guidance of famous promoter of natural farming K M Hilal, Acharya Vinayakrishna and Margam managing trustee Dr Joshy Varghese.Natural farming is ecofriendly and also purifies air and water.Better health is not possible without maintaining a healthy nature, said Dr Joshy.
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