This was one of the many suggestions in the ‘Organic Farming Policy’ prepared by the Board with a mission to gradually cultivate land the organic way. The idea was to convert at least 20 per cent of cultivable land every year to the organic method. The board plans to adopt three villages in Kerala and make them model villages of organic farming.
The recommendations assumes significance in the backdrop of a rising number of farmer suicides across the country. Board chairman VS Vijayan opined that agriculture had to be made an attractive proposition for farmers and they should be paid a salary. This was necessary not only to ensure food security for the country, but also to strengthen farming, he said.
Rising pesticide and fertiliser costs, shrinking land holdings, declining soil fertility and heavily-subsidised farming in developed countries are some of the factors behind the tragedy. In addition, the farm sector growth has stagnated. Food output grew till 3.8 per cent per annum in the 1980s, but the growth rate has dropped to 0.5 per cent in the past six years.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, has failed to take any concrete step to improve the plight of the farmers. Finance minister P Chidambaram announced Rs 60,000 crores bailout for 40 million poor farmers during his budget speech this year.
However, the scheme is likely to benefit only those farmers who had borrowed money from banks. It would be of no benefit to marginal farmers, who have no access to institutional finance. These poor farmers depend mostly on local money lenders, who charge exorbitant interest rates (some times as high as 60-80 per cent per annum).
In addition, many pro-market policies — boosting export-oriented cash crops, promoting bio-fuel production and importing grain at high prices — are pushing farmers to the brink.