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| Andhra villages declared pesticide |
| This is part of the largest ecological farming programme in the world, to show there is hope in agriculture without chemicals, indebtedness andsuicide
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| INDIA
, 22-January-2008
2:41:29 AM |
| A quiet revolution led by women is taking place in the farmer suicide heartland of Andhra Pradesh. Once notorious for highest pesticide use, some 50 villages have declared themselves pesticide-free and seven fully organic villages have emerged.
This is part of the largest ecological farming programme in the world, to show there is hope in agriculture without chemicals, indebtedness and suicide.
There is pride and confidence as Ramulamma shares experiences on how the women of Vizianagaram managed to turn their villages pesticide-free. She says not just productivity and soil quality; even their quality of life has improved tremendously.
''Soil quality has improved, so has productivity. The food cooked from this is more tasty and healthy. We don't fall sick, so we spend less and earn more. Thus, farmer suicides have been reduced,'' said Ramulamma, farmer.
Ramulamma is part of what has emerged as the largest programme in the world on ecological farming. It started three years ago with villages like Enabavi declaring itself chemical-free in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh, notorious as the heartland of heavy pesticide use and farmer suicides.
From 25000 acres in 450 villages, the scaling up has been rapid to seven lakh acres in 1650 villages.
''At a time when many people are saying agriculture is no longer viable, these people are finding that to get out of the crisis, agriculture is perhaps the best option but the way they do agriculture has to change. Once they do ecological farming, they find their livelihoods are improving,'' said GV Ramanjaneyulu, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture.
What's interesting is that women through self-help groups are leading the revolution.
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