Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) or holistic agriculture is a method of agriculture that counters the commercial expenditure and market dependency of farmers for the inputs like fertilisers and pesticides. In India it was Padma Shri. Subhash Palekar who pioneered ‘zero-budget spiritual farming’, a technique that he claims has over 40 lakh adherents, three-fourths of them in South India. His method, largely draws from ancient Indian farming techniques, at the heart of which is a formulation called ‘Jiwamrita’.
Image source - Zero budget natural farming on the rise
Relevant portions of an interview with him makes it pretty easy to understand.
What about production costs?
The term zero-budget farming is self-explanatory. All you spend is on seeds and Rs 5,000 per acre for laying the harvested residue carpet, which can be covered by the inter-crop raised on it. So, whatever is obtained from sale of the main crop is your income and there’s no question of farmers committing suicide.
What are crop yields like?
“You can get 5-6 quintals of cotton and 3-6 quintals of soyabean per acre in non-irrigated patches. On irrigated patches, these can go up to 10 quintals. Besides, my method contributes to soil health, while increasing the plant’s capacity to even tolerate inundation from heavy rains or hailstorms,” declares Palekar.
Zero Budget Farming - Wikipedia
Natural agriculture: The man behind ‘zero-budget spiritual farming’(the interview)
Subhash Palekar (What is this Zero Budget spiritual Farming ?)
Image source - Zero budget natural farming on the rise
Relevant portions of an interview with him makes it pretty easy to understand.
What about production costs?
The term zero-budget farming is self-explanatory. All you spend is on seeds and Rs 5,000 per acre for laying the harvested residue carpet, which can be covered by the inter-crop raised on it. So, whatever is obtained from sale of the main crop is your income and there’s no question of farmers committing suicide.
What are crop yields like?
“You can get 5-6 quintals of cotton and 3-6 quintals of soyabean per acre in non-irrigated patches. On irrigated patches, these can go up to 10 quintals. Besides, my method contributes to soil health, while increasing the plant’s capacity to even tolerate inundation from heavy rains or hailstorms,” declares Palekar.
Zero Budget Farming - Wikipedia
Natural agriculture: The man behind ‘zero-budget spiritual farming’(the interview)
Subhash Palekar (What is this Zero Budget spiritual Farming ?)
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