Farmers to cultivate guava, gooseberry in traditional way

ALLAHABAD: Keeping in view the growing popularity of organic farm produce, the district horticulture department has launched an organic farming promotion programme for the cultivation of guava and Indian gooseberry (amla) crops in seven blocks of the district in March. For this purpose, the department has already started imparting training to over 400 farmers under its mission programme and aims at popularising organic farming among the farmers in the region.
The blocks where organic farming has been introduced are Bahadurpur, Kaurihar, Jasra, Saidabad, Shankargarh, Dhanupur and Bahria. PK Shukla, district horticulture officer, has also been entrusted with the task of monitoring the programme.
Any farmer residing in the chosen blocks could easily go for organic farming. For this, the minimum land requirement is one acre and maximum four hectare. Horticulture officials are also assuring all sorts of assistance to the farmers growing organic crops.
At present, farmers in these blocks will be producing only guava and Indian gooseberry and later other crops like tomato, cabbage, peas, ladyfinger, carrot, litchi etc would also be grown through organic farming.
As Allahabad and adjoining areas are known for guava production, agro officials are running from pillar to post to grow the crop through organic farming.
"We have selected these blocks for organic farming of guava and India gooseberry after carrying out a complete study and found circumstances like soil, its nature, productivity chances suitable for organic farming, " said PK Shukla, district horticulture officer while talking to TOI.
He added: "Under the mission programme, we are currently apprising farmers about the methods useful for organic farming and they would also be taught about producing natural fertilisers and insecticides/pesticides."
Shukla is of the view that customers are generally attracting towards organic products, especially in metro cities. Though organic products are not available in small towns, farmers are being encouraged to adopt organic farming due to its advantages.
In other states, the organic crops are available in market for domestic buyers and for catering industry which includes hotels, flights, etc.
And, when we will be getting organic crop of guava and Indian goosebeery? "We would also be planning to export them to bring benefit to farmers," said Shukla.
"The changing lifestyle of people and increasing demand for healthy food has forced the authorities concerned to take these initiative," said an agriculture official. "People in metropolitan as well as KAVAL towns are now asking for organic crops," he added.
As farmers are well equipped with bio-fertiliser technique, they have been encouraged to promote bio-fertilisers as the similar technique would be giving them the desired results. "There is nothing new about organic farming. It is our old traditional method of farming with cow-dung as manure and neem to keep insects away," said the official adding that "the awareness and education of consumers can help make these products popular.