MEMO FROM NARA

I am really proud to say that our country – India is home for infinite variety of crops. You name a crop, it is there. Major crops like rice and wheat, maize and sorghum, pulses like pigeon pea, chickpea, green and black grams, oilseeds like groundnut, sesame, sunflower, safflower, fibre crops like cotton, jute, silk cotton etc. and plantation crops like rubber, coffee, tea too. In this respect our country is great unlike certain other countries in receiving plenty of sunshine which is an important input for all crops for growth and development. The biodiversity both in humans and flora and fauna is extensive in our country. No one can deny that India is basically an agricultural country with millions of farmers who toil with indigenous tools in their or other’s fragmented fields.

Field work is always strenuous and hard. Hard work needs body stamina and physical strength. Physically one has to be fit to do the field work. However farming is harming many farmers because of the hazardous chemicals they use to protect the crops from diseases and insect pests. Indiscriminate use of pesticides has created havoc for the health of farmers and farm labours.

Realizing all these, the agricultural scientists advise the farmers not to go for the poisonous pesticides which are sold in agri-shops all over the country. There is no one to prescribe the pesticide as our medical doctors who diagnose our disease and accordingly prescribe the medicine needed. The pesticides are bought across the counter by the advice of the shop owners whose main aim is to dispose of the outdated stuff. Thus farming in India is not well organized as in advanced countries. Farmers go by seeing other farmers who make money by growing new crops. Blindly they grow crops without a link to the market. Huge production of a crop produce brings down the price considerably and farmers incur huge loss.

Without water there is no plant life and so farming crops consume large quantity of water to yield better. Lack of rain creates drought that limits crop growth and yield. So farming that provides food for all depends on so many factors. Farmers take risk as challenge! And try their best to cultivate crops and save humanity. Animals too need water and food. They are part of farming. How come we are not making sound farming policy to improve Indian farming in the technologically developed country? Someone hear me? If ‘yes’ please take action.