Lokesh urges farmers to adopt zero-budget natural farming

Tirupati: Andhra Pradesh HRD and IT minister Nara Lokesh emphasised the urgent need to encourage farmers toward organic practices, stating that zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) remains a core vision of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu.During his two-day visit to Kadapa district, the minister visited an integrated natural farming estate in Penikalapadu village, located within the Muddanur mandal of Jammalamadugu constituency. He interacted extensively with progressive farmer Munagala Dwarakanatha Reddy and his family members to understand their sustainable practices.Dwarakanatha Reddy and his brother, Ramanareddy, have been practising natural farming for the past five years across 17 acres of their joint family land. By successfully integrating diverse fruit crops, animal husbandry, poultry, and aquaculture, the family has established a self-sustaining ecosystem that generates a reliable monthly income.Their diversified estate features crops such as mango, sweet lime, amla, coconut, lemon, jamun, guava, drumstick, custard apple, etc. Additionally, they have also established a poultry and a fish farm.The family now prepares natural fertilisers and a 32-variety biodiversity seed mix directly on their farm, eliminating the need for synthetic fertilisers and chemical pesticides.Dwarakanatha Reddy explained that keeping 250 country chickens naturally controls weeds and pests, wiping out labour and chemical costs. He highlighted that a single indigenous cow provides enough manure to sustain up to 20 acres of natural farming.The family currently nets between 3 lakh and 3.50 lakh rupees annually from their mango harvest alone and expressed confidence that more farmers would achieve wonders if given additional government backing.Responding to the family’s success, Lokesh observed that the excessive use of chemical inputs has severely degraded soil fertility across the state, besides driving farmers into deep debt due to soaring input costs. He reiterated that the state govt is deeply committed to expanding natural farming and millet cultivation, aligning with central government initiatives.The minister also highlighted that the govt is prioritising the development of interconnected minor irrigation tanks and expanding drip irrigation networks to fortify the arid Rayalaseema region. He stressed the importance of connecting local farmers to build a robust organic network.