Palekar for zero-budget farming in individual villages

Agriculture expert Subhash Palekar on Monday advised the state government to start ‘zero-budget natural farming’ in individual villages so that it can be implemented effectively.

“Choose one village in each of the 745 hoblis and focus your entire energy there,” Palekar, who is hailed as the pioneer of zero-budget natural farming, told Chief Minister
H D Kumaraswamy in his hour-long lecture.

“Under chemical farming, there’s no technology available to stop farmer suicides or double farm incomes. Also, cow dung-based is not practical since an acre will require 9-10 metric tonnes of manure to achieve the results of chemical farming,” Palekar
said.

The government has earmarked Rs 50 crore to roll out zero-budget natural farming, this year.