Farmers urged to cultivate indigenous crop varieties

Time of India

02-07-2025

Mandya: Farmers must be encouraged to adopt organic or natural farming practices and cultivate indigenous crop varieties, urged KR Nandini, CEO of Mandya zilla panchayat.
She was addressing officials during a review meeting of the agriculture department's ongoing schemes held at the ZP auditorium.
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Emphasising the advantages of organic methods, she said, "Cultivating indigenous varieties using natural fertilisers results in higher yields and long-term sustainability.
Therefore, farmers should be motivated to rear Hallikar cows, which are well-suited for organic farming systems."
Nandini instructed the animal husbandry department to identify farmers practising natural farming and provide them with Hallikar cows under the Amrit Mahal scheme.
She also called for an increase in the scheme's coverage and urged officials to submit proposals to the govt stressing its significance.
Natural fertilisers: ZP CEO
To make organic farming viable, she said natural fertilisers must be made available to farmers at the same or even lower prices than chemical fertilisers. "Although chemical fertilisers may increase yields by 10 to 20%, organically grown produce commands higher market demand and better prices," she noted, adding that awareness must be created among farmers regarding the profitability of organic farming.
She suggested organising workshops and interactive sessions with successful organic farmers to promote awareness and build confidence in natural farming practices.
She also cautioned against the misuse of the 'organic' label by some farmers who market chemically- grown produce as organic. "This practice not only misleads consumers but also undermines the efforts of genuine organic farmers," she warned. She emphasised the importance of proper branding to ensure better market reach and fair pricing for authentic organic products.
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Highlighting the scope for traditional value addition, Nandini recommended promoting oilseed cultivation along field boundaries and intercropping areas. These oilseeds can be supplied to women's self-help groups (SHGs) operating traditional oil extraction units in the district. She also noted that the district is already producing organic jaggery. Similarly, groundnuts can be grown organically, processed into peanut chikkis (brittle), and marketed beyond the district and state levels, she said.
Providing updates on conservation efforts, joint director of agriculture Ashok reported that 278 indigenous crop varieties were identified and preserved under the National Mission on Natural Farming. The goal is to conserve at least 400 such varieties in the district.