Octogenarian organic farmer S. Nanjammal and her son Bharathi Chinnasamy requested all State governments to encourage home gardening in all villages in an attempt for self-sufficiency and aid in the revival of the economy.
At a press meet here on Monday, Mr. Chinnasamy said that the State governments must provide one unit of organic manure and five types of seeds/seedlings free of cost to 50 families in all the villages. He also recommended utilisation of workers from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to set up the home gardens in every household. If implemented, each family could save around ₹ 6,000 per year on vegetable purchases, he claimed.
“There are about 12 crore families in the rural areas of India. This will lead to saving ₹ 72,000 crores in a year,” Mr. Chinnasamy claimed. This money will increase the purchasing power of the people, thereby helping in reviving the economy that has been affected due to COVID-19 lockdown, according to him. The letter will be sent to all the Chief Ministers and the Prime Minister, he said.
Ms. Nanjammal, 83, said that she was able to supply seeds and saplings to 37 families in the past two years at Thoppampatti village near Kavundampalayam, where she and Mr. Chinnasamy resides. About 17 types of vegetables are grown in an organic manner at her home garden, she said.