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January 2008 Edition

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Rina Mukherji
Phulia (WB)

IN the old days, Bengal’s farmers grew rice that was tasty and healthy. Some of their traditional seeds were rich in iron. Others had medicinal properties. Farmers had wondrous seeds that could survive drought and floods. After the Green Revolution many of these miracle seeds faded into oblivion. They got replaced by hybrid varieties. The government of West Bengal is now trying to revive these rice seeds and put them back on farmers' fields. The government-run Directorate of Agriculture has set up Agricultural Training Centres (ATCs). These centres are running seven biodiversity farms across the state. The ATC in rural Phulia in Nadia district is unique because it combines the facilities of a training centre with its biodiversity farm. The farm preserves and promotes indigenous rice varieties, all of which are grown organically.

The Phulia ATC has collected and grown 71 organic varieties of paddy on its premises, rescuing them fromnear-extinction. For Dr Anupam Pal, Agriculture Development Officer (Training) and Bijon Kumar Roy, principal of the ATC, this biodiversity farm is a labour of love. Dr Pal has been particularly active in going beyond his brief. He has collected many rare varieties of paddy from internationally-renowned agricultural scientist Dr Debal Deb to grow them in the biodiversity farm for the benefit of farmers and extension workers who come there for training. Indigenous varieties grown in Bengal have many sterling qualities. Some paddy seeds are known to have medicinal properties. The yellowish Haludgathi variety is rich in iron, while Kabirajshaal, Agnibaan and Agnishaal were particularly recommended for convalescing patients. The famous puffed rice (moyas) of Joynagar in South 24-Parganas is made of Kanakchur rice which is said to be very flavorful. The number of scented and non-scented varieties of paddy on the farm is a treat for the eyes. The black-hued Tulsi mukul and Kalamunia grow side by side with the reddish brown Medi, red Bangla patnai, light hued Chamarmuni and the delicate Radhatilak.

The furry Tulai Panji contrasts with the stark Kankri and Khejurchhadi. For the connoisseur, there are four varieties of the famous scented Gobindabhog that Bengalis swear by. The farm also has many kinds of basmati from Dehradun. There is the jugal (twin) variety which has two grains growing out of a single husk. Though he is a devotee of organic farming, Dr Pal never gives the wrong impression to farmers. He speaks the truth. So while explaining the benefits of opting for organic farming, Dr Pal cautions farmers against converting all their land to organic. “Switching from years of hybrid seeds and chemical pesticide overnight will never bring a bumper yield right away,” he says. “Initially, there will be a drop in production. Depending on the amount of pesticide that has been fed into the soil, the land will take time to recover its natural vigour. Our farm, for instance, has given us a bumper crop only after five years. So we always advise farmers to switch to organic farming one bigha at a time.” He refutes all talk of hybrids being more highyielding than the indigenous ones. Illustrating his point, Dr Pal picks up a stalk of Lalsanna,a hybrid and places it beside a stalk of Bangla patnai.

The heavy dark-coloured bunch full of grains stands out in sharp contrast to the obviously slender stalk of the hybrid variety which has just about half the number of grains. Interestingly, there are varieties like Pari, which even after a harvest, sprout grain from the stubs of stalks left behind. No chemical fertilisers are sprinkled on the farm. Only pheromones are used to trap insects. “The very nature of organic /indigenous varieties precludes the possibility of attacks by pests. They are naturally resistant to pests and disease,” explains Dr Pal. The only repellants used are cattle urine or dung that contains nitrogen phosphate and potash in just the right proportion to prevent rice bugs. Additionally, neem or citronella oil is used on the farm. Traditional seeds are proving to be hardy and tenacious. When farmers use hybrid seeds, at least four seeds must be planted at every point to get 16 tillers to grow. Organic farming requires a single seed to produce a minimum of 22 tillers. In fact, most species produce around 45 tillers, with species like Khejurchhari producing as many as 75 tillers.

In hybrid farming, six kg of seeds per bigha is needed whereas if the farmer plants traditional varieties organically he needs just one and a half kg of indigenous seeds per bigha. The overall savings are enormous, while inputs are next to nil. A farmer ends up with a neat profit of Rs 700 per bigha, as against a farmer using chemical methods who has to rely on a lot of expensive inputs. Besides, hybrid seeds cannot be planted everywhere. They need flat, fertile land which is neither hilly, saline nor marginal. Dr Pal points out, “there are indigenous deep-water varieties which grow in as much as 18 feet deep water, as also lowlying and saline soils.” Likewise, while training every batch of 25-30 farmers, advice is given keeping in mind the terrain they will be growing their crops in. “ If they hail from south 24-Parganas, we advise them on how to grow salinity-resistant varieties. Those owning marginal lands are similarly advised to go for drought-resistant, resilient varieties,” explains Bijon Kumar Roy, Principal of this facility. The organic varieties have another advantage in regions like West Bengal, which are prone to storms and heavy rain. Unlike hybrid arieties, the standing crop might fall down, and yet never be destroyed. The stalks continue to receive nutrition even when fallen, since they do not break off. Organic varieties yield straw for cattle, which can help the family get milk.

Chemical farming has worked against fish yield which has dropped due to chemical leaching in adjoining ponds. Organic farming, as this correspondent found out, always restores the balance, and multiplies fish yield. Fish-cum-paddy culture, especially in low lying regions, can be very lucrative for the farmer. “A farmer can make Rs 700 from his land, and at the rate of Rs 30 a kg of fish, another Rs 3,000 in the next five months when not rowing paddy. This gives him Rs 3,700 in profits. When he grows the high-yielding hybrid variety, all he makes is Rs 500, since the nputs at into his earnings.” explains Dr Pal. To illustrate the advantages of backward integration, the biodiversity farm-cum-training centre has ept cattle too. Farmers and extension workers who are sent from various districts on being selected by their respective agricultural development officers (ADOs) get to experience and understand it all first-hand. Such farming can lower costs for farmers and save them from committing suicide.

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