Farmer body starts drive to make agriculture sustainable

Bathinda: Farmer organisation Kirti Kisan Union (KKU) started a movement on Thursday to replace the green revolution model with ecological and pro-farmer sustainable model of agriculture by holding conferences in 12 districts of Punjab on the eve of martyrdom day of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.
KKU leaders addressing the conferences stated that Punjab is facing a serious crisis due to air, water and soil pollution and people are facing serious diseases. Instead of giving a serious solution, government is changing dates for sowing paddy or sowing techniques, which is not a permanent solution. Punjab’s agriculture model should be according to local needs and local environment. The two crop circle of wheat and paddy must be replaced with division of Punjab into different zones that must be developed into natural growing areas. Zone-based farming, agriculture research centre and agro industries should be developed.
Union state president Nirbhai Singh Dhudike, vice-president Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala and other leaders also said Punjab imports 94% lentils for its consumption. “Area under cultivation of pulses can be increased. Similarly, only 2.2% of Punjab’s total agriculture land is under horticulture, only limited to Citrus fruits (kinnow) and guava. Pomegranate, which requires very less amount of water, is imported and sold at high rates in Punjab. Land under horticulture can be increased in Punjab by many times, which would lead to less sowing of paddy as well as increase in trees, which would in turn be beneficial for our environment and lessen the temperature. Horticulture would provide three to seven months employment to rural labour. If food processing units are established the employment time could be increased,” pointed out KKU leaders.
Dairy farming and cattle rearing should be encouraged so that Punjab could be saved from synthetic milk and ghee, they said. Providing river water for the whole year could save ground water and using pipes could save 30% water.