Mr. Gautam Kar, Proprietor, Emerald Farm says-
The statement “Farming as an individual is absolutely not possible” may not always be correct. In every field there are leaders who show the way. Masanobu Fukuoka from Japan, Shri Bhaskar Save from India are two such examples. They did wonders as an individual farmers. However, small individual farmers who do not have an identity and are not doing something different are completely exploited by the trade. Group farming and marketing through farmer’s cooperatives holds much better promise than individuals struggling for survival in the web created by greedy middlemen. As far as organic farming is concerned, my personal opinion is that if one understands the nuances of organic farming perfectly, output through organic methods in open cultivated and semi protected segment of farming rival if not exceed that from farming methods derived through use of chemicals and at a fraction of the cost.
Whether that will be the future will depend purely on market forces. In the West, consciousness about the benefits of organic food is growing very fast. There is good market for organic food and farmers are opting to produce organic food. In India, the market for organic food is still very limited and if I may say so somewhat elitist. Also the key to success in organic farming is not following procedures by rote, but through understanding. This requires prolonged observation of nature and dedication which few people of the newer generation are willing to undertake. Therefore, spirited organic farming will largely remain an individual effort. Organic farming may become more broad- based in the future in case the drive comes from the market when there is a high premium for organic products. In that case, farmers might flock to produce organic products to make their money, but organic farming without conviction and understanding is as inane as following a package rolled out for any other system of cultivation where consideration for achieving higher income is the sole guiding factor. As far as farmers adopting latest technologies is concerned, I am very much in favour. Latest technologies need not be something very high- tech. E.g Compost tea making for giving microbial fertilisers is a very simple inexpensive process. It was first started in 2004. If farmers adopt the same, farmers will be able to save thousands of rupees in terms of cost of fertilizers, manure and pesticides individually every year and the nation tens of thousands of crores of rupees in foreign exchange. As far as the suggestion that farmers should stop expecting subsidies is concerned, I may mention that farm subsidies are doled out in almost all countries of the world and it is an economic necessity. E.g It is in every citizen’s interest that sugar price be kept low. If sugar prices are to be kept low, cane prices have to be low. A farmer cannot afford to produce cane at low rates if he were to pay for power for irrigation at rates prevailing for industrial customers.
Emerald Farm
Type VI, Regional Training Centre,
Defense Accounts Department,
E M Block, Sector V, Salt Lake - Kolkata
Mobile - 9477301310
Email -
gautamkar52@gmail.com
