SC Farmers Focus on Zero Budget Natural Farming in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh

Farmers from Scheduled Caste communities are growing vegetables under the Zero Budget Natural Farming method in Salikonda village, Srikakulam district. Farmers from Scheduled Caste communities are growing vegetables under the Zero Budget Natural Farming method in Salikonda village, Srikakulam district.

Thanks to financial aid from the SC Corporation of Srikakulam, many farmers from Scheduled Caste communities are now focusing on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF). In the early stages of ZBNF farming, the yield is often lower. That is one of the primary reasons why farmers choose to farm with pesticides and fertilizers in order to increase production.

Kancharana Ramarao, the Corporation's executive director, recommended a financial support of $10,000 to each farmer as part of encouraging ZBNF in the district. Roughly 1,300 farmers who were chosen for financial help from the Corporation could receive instruction from the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments on how to use the ZBNF approach to rejuvenate soil damaged by continual fertilizer and pesticide use. "Approximately 5,000 acres of land will regain its fertility through good agricultural activity," officials added.

Chintala Hariprasad, a farmer who grows paddy, green gramme, black gramme, and papaya on his two acres of land in Salihundam village in Gara mandal, Srikakulam district, claimed that the SC Corporation's support encouraged him to focus entirely on natural farming.

"Pesticide and fertilizer prices have risen by over 50% in the last six years." Hence, despite a high yield, we are not making a lot of money. We hope to see increased revenues very quickly because natural farming incurs no expenses. "The yield would increase as the soil has been healthier in the last two years," Hariprasad predicted.

Another farmer, Boddepalli Sitaramaiah of Etcherla mandal's Jarajam village, thanked the government for providing financial and technical assistance in natural farming. He said that he could learn how to make manure and natural liquid fertilizer-Jeevamritam, both of which were required to boost soil fertility.

Ramarao stated that, "Corporation was receiving increasing applications for financial help from farmers. Using this unique approach, we intend to assist at least 2,000 farmers in the coming fiscal year. We'll continue to provide assistance to agricultural and related activities, especially dairy development."