Indian farmers, who commonly overuse fertilisers in almost everything they grow, are being slowly nudged away from the dangerous practice, resulting in productivity gains, a study of the national soil-health-card scheme has shown.
Growers who followed scientific recommendations based on their soil profile for at least a year, as part of a national programme, are not only growing more with less inputs, but they also have cut down cultivation costs, the study involving 3,184 farmers across 199 villages in 16 states found.
Farmers planting cotton, paddy and soyabean — crops picked by the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management in a study commissioned by the farm ministry — have managed to lower costs by 4-10%. They have also cut down on reliance on fertilisers. Net farmer incomes grew between 30% and 40% as a result, the study states.
Read more of this informative report by Zia Haq published in Hindustan Times...
