Anantapur woman gets pat on back from Prime Minister for nature farming

ANANTAPUR: A woman farmer, Vannuramma, from Anantapur district, who has cultivated vegetables and other crops using nature farming methods, was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an interaction with farmers while releasing financial assistance under the PM Kisan scheme.

During his interaction with her, the Prime Minister said Vannuramma is an inspiration to Anantapur and Anantapur is an inspiration to the country in nature farming. “A Dalit women farmer using nature farming has enhanced her income fourfold. If everyone in the country follows her example, the entire country will prosper,” Modi observed. 

Vannuramma, in her interaction with Modi, introduced herself as a small farmer cultivating four acres of assigned land given to her by the state government. The land was arid for 10 years and using nature farming, she made it a fertile one. “I used nature farming in two acres and cultivated three crops in one acre. Millets, groundnuts and vegetables were cultivated in my land. I invested `27,000 on three crops and earned `1.07 lakh per acre,” she explained. 

The woman farmer, showing the vegetables cultivated by her to the Prime Minister, said Anantapur is a drought-prone  area and gets the least amount of rainfall, hence she adopted nature farming to develop her land. “I am an SC woman and there is a tribal hamlet besides our village, where 170 tribal women live. I taught nature farming to them and encouraged them to take it up,” she said and expressed her happiness for getting an opportunity to speak to the Prime Minister. Modi, after listening to her, said her words and works are a true inspiration to many and it instills self-confidence among farmers in the country. “You and your nature farming stand as inspiration to others. I salute wholeheartedly for your work,” Modi said. 

Later, district collector Gandham Chandrudu congratulated Vannuramma. He said if everyone takes her as inspiration and follows in her footsteps, Anatapur will turn into a green hub fertile land. “Though Vannuramma lost her husband, she never lost her courage and the mother of four had proved that one can do everything if he/she is determined and hardworking,” Chandrudu observed.