“Shifting from chemical to organic way is quite satisfying”

Bhubaneswar, Nov 24: For 43-year-old Santosh Behera, a resident of Kamagara Patana, a small village under Kamakhyanagar block in Dhenkanal district, shifting from conventional farming to organic way is quite satisfying. Behera was all smiles as he displayed his first organic harvest – a basketful of indigenous variety of brinjal, locally called “Pala Baigana,” in a National Seminar on Natural Farming & Food Safety organised in the city recently.

In his childhood, Behera has seen his father and grandfather following organic practices. However, when he took up the task of farming around two decades ago, he started using chemical fertilizer and pesticide as everyone around him advised him to do so to get a good harvest.

“The practice of applying chemical fertilizer went on till I was motivated by the volunteers of the Asian Institute of Human Development (AIHD), a Bhubaneswar-based organisation, to return to the organic way of cultivation. Since Akshaya Tritiya, on May 3 this year, I have shunned chemical fertilizer,” said an enthusiastic Behera.

“To my surprise, the harvest from organic practices is at par with that of the chemical way. What is more satisfying is that I can protect my family and neighbours from deadly diseases that mostly occurs due to consumption of food produced in a chemical way. Besides, by doing this I am contributing to a healthy environment.” he added further.

“It is only a few months Behera has adopted the organic way of cultivation. The soil will become fertile with constant practice of organic farming and the harvest will multiply in course of time,” said Samir Barik, who manages of AIHD’s Organic Farming projects.

Chief Guest of the programme, Prof. Pravat Kumar Roul, who is the Vice Chancellor of OUAT, visited AIHD’s stall that was displaying a range of organic produce and inputs including fertilizers, pesticides and waste decomposer. While taking a note from the farmers and AIHD’s community motivators about the methods of preparation and application of these farming inputs, Prof. Roul urged them to inspire other farmers to adopt the practice as it can only make their livelihood sustainable.

Among others, Dr Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Vice Chancellor of Siksha O Anusandhan University; Dr. Nagesh Kumar Barik, Scientist, Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture-Bhubaneswar; and leaders of different Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) visited the AIHD stall and lauded its efforts to make earth a better place to live in by promoting sustainable agricultural practices. AIHD’s Chairman Mr Susant Pujari and Secretary Deepak Kumar Ram accompanied the guests.

Mohini Mohan Mishra, General Secretary of Bharatiya Kishan Sangha; Dr. Gagnesh Sharma, Director of National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming, Ghaziabad; Sukant Kumar Panigrahi, Executive Secretary of ANANYA, a non-profit; and experts from across the country discussed on the strategies to mainstream organic and natural farming. More than 600 farmers, organic entrepreneurs, experts and scientists from across the country participated in the programme.

It may be mentioned here that AIHD is a trust engaged in a slew of activities including education, entrepreneurship development and promotion of sustainable agriculture and livelihood in the state. Currently AIHD is promoting adoption and certification of organic farming in five districts – Deogarh, Gajapati, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Kandhamal.