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A Padma Shree awardee (2023) farmer for his pioneering work to conserve traditional seeds and promote the cultivation of millets, Nek Ram Sharma of Karsog in Himachal Pradesh says that agriculture has become income centric with little concern for health aspect all these years. Sharma has been doing low-cost, climate resilient and environment friendly non-chemical natural farming for over three decades at his farm now and is credited with giving the concept of nau anaaj (inter-cropping of nine crops, including cereals, millets and pulses, in the same field) in sync with nav graha, while relating agriculture with tradition and culture.

 

His idea of making Kodo millet’s (Kodra) tea, Ragi momo has picked up fast in fairs and festivals across the state. He has been on a mission in the entire country to create awareness among the farmers to shed the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides and take to natural farming in the larger interest of environment, nutrition and sustainable agriculture. The Padma award, he says, has even brought more responsibility on his shoulders to get going with the agenda with all the dedication and energy.

 

Also read: Himachal Transport dept eyes ₹1000 cr revenue

 

Nek Ram Sharma spoke to the News Arena India in Shimla in an exclusive interview on agriculture issues in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh. The excerpts are:

 

Q. What ails agriculture at the moment?

A. The unending quest to generate more and more income from the farm is one big issue that ails agriculture. We need to have food security, but nutrition and food safety is equally important. The farmers are not very keen to switch from chemical farming to non-chemical natural farming, because they are somehow bothered about profits and income only. They do not understand that after so many years of use of chemicals and pesticides in agriculture, not only that agriculture is suffering, but human health has also become a prime cause of concern. They want to produce more and more and sell everything to earn money out of every single grain they produce. My concept is that they should produce quality and healthy crops with non-chemical farming, keep those things for self-consumption and sell the surplus. It would be a healthy option in farming, the produce would be nutritious and it would check the number of diseases. But we are now a highly aspiring society. We take to healthy options for food, only when the doctor tells us. Commercial aspect is important, yet we need to think about nutrition and health also.

 

Q. Do you think you have been able to create awareness about millets among farmers and consumers?

A. Yes, I have been consistently talking about it in the farming community and distributing traditional seeds to five farmers every season, telling them to grow them and then distribute seeds further to other five farmers each, thus making a chain all through. I educate farmers about natural farming also. I mainly tell them about the health aspects, which are convincing. Also, I have been spreading the concept of traditional agriculture like nau anaaj, linking it with nav graha pooja. Nau anaaj is intercropping of nine types of crops, which are used in the pooja or other auspicious occasions, right from barley to oilseeds to pulses. This non-chemical cultivation not only helps improve the soil health, but the farmers’ and consumers’ health too. It has made a difference and many farmers followed what I said. Yet I would say that since the Himachal government started focussing on natural farming and millets over the last some years, my efforts have got a push.

 

Q What do you have to say about mechanisation of agriculture?  

A. I always propagate that in hilly states like Himachal Pradesh, we need to have smaller and manual tools suited to the terrain. We can’t follow the big states where farms are very large. Traditionally, the role of Oxen in agriculture has been significant in agriculture and it is still very important as it goes with nature and requirements in a state like Himachal where we have very small landholdings, fragile lands and little resources. However, in the changing face of agriculture, nobody wants to put oxen to use in the fields. If we can give subsidies for the desi cow and arrange fodder for it, why can’t it be the same for oxen for the fields. This would actually bring the farmers back to basics. These animals have multiple advantages in agriculture, not just one. Aaj nahi toh kal (If not today, then tomorrow) we will have to revert, just as we are now thinking of non-chemical farming again. Animal husbandry has been an important part of agriculture, and we cannot ignore that. Rather, the agriculture and animal husbandry should be dealt with in an integrated way at policy level also.  

 

Q. Non-chemical natural farming concept is back in focus in pockets in the country. Do you think it will take over chemical based farming ultimately?

A. Yes. It will happen one day. When the Green Revolution came, the farmers took some time to adopt it despite massive efforts by the government then. Similarly, now when we have realised the need of going back to farming without chemicals in view of the health and sustainability concerns, it will also take time. The  Himachal Pradesh government has started propagating natural farming in Himachal Pradesh, so many farmers are gradually adopting it after trial. The Government of India’s National Mission on Natural Farming would also give the required push across the states. The only thing is that we have to find scientific solutions to the emerging issues in natural farming, since the soil is now used to chemicals, whether it is about production or pests. I don’t go by the opinion that natural farming drops production. I have a pomegranate farm and I don’t use any chemical fertilisers or pesticides in it, but am able to reap good fruit and benefits from it.

 

Q. Farmers say that natural farming inputs are not effective to check diseases?

A. It is not like that. The overuse of chemicals has done no good to the plant health. Rather new diseases are coming in the crops now. The soil health has gone down. The farmers must understand that we don’t need to kill the pests with chemicals to check disease. The environment friendly approach is that we just need to control pests to control diseases. The natural farming inputs, which are prepared at home with desi cow’s urine and dung along with specific locally resourced leaves, are environment friendly and improve the soil health, plant health and control diseases. It gives wholesome results in terms of income, health, environment and sustainability. It helps in inter-cropping and diversification of agriculture, with minimum expenditure. Once the farmers are convinced, they do go for it, like it has been happening in Himachal Pradesh, where the farmers are continuously being sensitised and trained in natural farming technique. They are being told how to make non-chemical farm inputs at home and are taken on exposure visits. Since it is a question of shift in livelihood, many of them first tried natural farming in kitchen gardens or smaller areas first and when they saw the positive results, they replicated the concept in larger areas.

 

Q. What else can be done to promote natural farming in the country?

A. Sensitisation of political leadership and policy makers comes first along with continuous awareness campaigns for the farmers. The NGOs working in the agriculture sector should be involved in it for bigger community participation. I personally feel that the farmers, who are already doing it, should be patted and encouraged to spread the concept of natural farming further among farmers. The communication of the Agriculture department with the farmers should be strengthened and the emerging problems in natural farming should be solved with the help of experts. A guidance on the marketing linkages will also give a boost. We have lost so much in agriculture. We need to revive the traditional practices to sustain in future. The day is not far when the government will even think of making a strong policy and law in this regard.

 

Q. You are propagating millets. Do you promote multi-grain flour for consumption?

A. If we take millets in meals, they are healthier. Nowadays there is a trend of mixing different kinds of millets and even wheat. I would not recommend that we mix anything, thinking that it would add to nutrition.  We should go for the multi-grains if we are aware of the consequences of mixing different grains on nutrition and digestion accurately. Like mixing wheat with millets won’t help at all, because they can’t be digested in similar time.