At an altitude of 1,600 metres, farmers at Meenakshipuram near Sirumalai range of forests have started a revolution of sorts in organic farming.

As many as 100 farmers in the remote village belonging to Madurai district have been cultivating pepper, chow-chow and coffee which are free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides.

The farmers, who were buying dried cow dung and vermi-compost from Dindigul and Madurai, have now also been trained in setting up vermi-compost units in their farmlands.

“They have adopted natural farming techniques with a loan of Rs . 25 lakh from National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development,” says S. Alagesan, secretary, Centre for Rural and Education Development, an NGO which has been working with the community there. These techniques are all based on low external input and sustainable agriculture, he adds...........Read more

Source web Page: The Hindu