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Pests and
pesticides contribute to the major economic and
ecological problems affecting the farmers, crops and
their living environment. Two decades of experience in
Andhra Pradesh on Non Pesticidal Management shows that
pest is a symptom of ecological disturbance rather than
a cause and can be affectively managed by using local
resources and timely action. The emerging new paradigm
of sustainable agriculture shows that the new knowledge
synthesized from traditional practices supplemented with
modern science can bring in ecological and economic
benefits to the farmers. The small success from few
villages could be scaled up into more than 7 lakh acres
(1.5 million ha) in three years benefiting more than 3
lakh farmers (300 thousand). The costs of cultivations
could be brought down significantly without reduction in
yield. The institutional base of Community Based
Organizations like Federations of Women Self Help Groups
provides a good platform for scaling up such ecological
farming practices. This experience also shows how the
grass root extension system when managed by the
community can bring in change and help the farming
community to come out of the crisis. |
