Sri Sathya Sai Collector lauds woman for her success in natural farming

Woman farmer excels in natural farming, impressing District Collector with diverse crops and sustainable practices for profit.

S. Lakshmamma (35), a woman farmer from Hanumanthu Nayani village in Madakasira Assembly constituency won the appreciation of Sri Sathya Sai District Collector T.S. Chetan, for registering a success story in natural farming. The Collector on Wednesday paid a visit to her field and interacted with her about the steps she had initiated to achieve profits and the implementation of intercropping methods.

Lakshmamma told the Collector that she had been cultivating papaya, leafy greens, and root vegetables like radish, carrot, and beetroot, along with tomatoes, okra, and brinjal on her two-acre field, which also has teak plantation on the hedges. She said that her monthly income from intercropping would be between ₹15,000 to ₹25,000. She took pride in the pomegranate plantation at a corner of the field, which gave her additional income.

Lakshmamma added that for the last two years, she kept seeking advice from the officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments to fight plant diseases, apart from observing the trends in natural farming, by preparing and applying organic manure like ‘Jeevamrutham’ and ‘Ghanamrutham’, using the dung of a native cow.

Lakshmamma expressed happiness at her healthy teak plantation, which is 15-month-old. “I hope to get a good income by the next three years. Also, my papaya is getting ready to bring me profits next month,” she said.

The Collector was full of appreciation for Lakshmamma, knowing that she also cultivates fenugreek, spinach, and coriander, which generate a daily income of ₹700 to ₹1,500. Mr. Chetan advised her to go in for nitrogen-fixing crops like moringa and sesbania as intercrops.

Senior officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments were present during the field visit.