Govt to form committee to make MSP system effective, promote natural farming
Recently the government will constitute a committee to promote zero budget farming.
As part of the Prime Minister’s address to the nation, a committee (with representatives from the Centre, states, farmers and experts) was announced. This committee will decide on the following types of matters:
- Zero-budget farming means promotion of natural farming.
- To change the cropping pattern to meet the future needs of the country.
- To make Minimum Support Price (MSP) more effective and transparent.
Zero-budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a method of chemical-free farming based on traditional Indian practices.
It was originally promoted by Subhash Palekar, a resident of Maharashtra. It is popular as an alternative to the methods of Green Revolution driven by chemical fertilizers and pesticides and intensive irrigation.
ZBNF was presented in the Union Budget 2019-20.
ZBNF is based on 4 pillars –
It eliminates the need for chemicals, intensive irrigation etc. to reduce the cost. In addition, it ensures minimum cost through inter-cropping for zero-budget.
Advantages of ZBNF – Requires very less amount of water and electricity as compared to chemical farming. ZBNE reduces the cost of agriculture by utilizing locally available resources. In addition, it also manages soil nutrition, fertility, pests and seeds, etc.
It includes four components-
- ‘Bijamrutham’ means microbial coating of seeds using a mixture based on cow dung and urine.
- To increase the micro-organisms of the soil, using ‘Jivamrut’ means a mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery, lentil flour, water and soil.
- Mulching, or the formation of a layer of organic matter on the soil surface, to prevent evaporation of water and contribute to the formation of humus in the soil.
- Soil aeration through a favorable micro-climate in the soil.
Source – The Hindu
