Farmers get lessons in natural farming, advised to restrict use of pesticides

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 23

EcoAmritsar arranged for a master class to promote natural farming in Punjab. Over 40 participants from Amritsar, Ajnala, Mehta, Jandiala and Nawanshahr, were brought to Bhagat Puran Singh Pingalwara farm for an experiential programme on organic cultivation. This follows the workshop held at Lalchian in April this year, where 160 farmers had gathered for training. The feedback from this workshop was encouraging but the need to exhibit a model nature farm as a part of such training was felt.

Rajbir Singh conducted this hands-on activity where combining of various crops, use of farm yard manure, making of fertiliser and natural pest control were introduced to the community. The ill of toxic food consumption was also elucidated. At the end of the session, five farmers from these regions pledged to go natural immediately and would be imparted continued assistance in their ventures. These were Baldev Singh, Pargat Singh, Tarsem Singh, Lakhbir Singh and Maninder Singh.

The EcoAmritsar-funded bus will be utilised by Baba Kulwant Singh and his team to bring interested farmers fortnightly so as to showcase the goodness of non-toxic cultivation in order to break the stranglehold of the paddy-wheat rotation.

An effort will be made to teach the communities how eco-friendly techniques can give substantial yields of health-giving crops.

“The elements of nature that assist food production have been abused. At this juncture, when rice and wheat production is ample in rain-fed regions of the country, Punjab must revert to growing cash crops, vegetables and millets, which are great sources of nutrition with minimal risk,” said Gunbir Singh, chairman, EcoAmritsar.