the goan I network
MARGAO
As farmers harvested the paddy cultivated with the innovative cosmic farming mode as part of the pilot project on Thursday, the concept has come under the scanner of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), which will assess the yield for three years before concluding whether the method will sustain paddy cultivation, increase yield and benefit the farmers.
Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai said the government will support any type of farming, whether conventional or cosmic, which will increase the yield and reduce the input cost.
Harvesting of the crop cultivated opposite the residence of Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai was carried out in the presence of Shiv Yog Krishi Goa chief Usha Sardesai, senior agricultural officers and ICAR scientist and Agronomist Dr Parmesh.
ICAR scientist and Agronomist Dr Parmesh said, “I have checked the yield achieved by cosmic farming. Jyoti and Jaya varieties of rice have responded well, but the grain filling of the Ratnagiri red rice was comparatively less.”
“We will study the concept for 2-3 years before arriving at a conclusion whether this method is sustainable or not and whether it will increase the yield or not. Certainly the input cost will come down as the concept does not involve the use of agriculture. However, labour cost remains the same,” he added.
The Agriculture Minister, however, said he is not pushing cosmic farming just because his wife Usha is involved with the project. “As a minister, it is the government intention that the farmer is helped to bring down the cost and increase the yield in whatever mode. Under the Shiv Yog Krishi, the input cost is zero since there’s no use of fertilisers and weedicides. But, we will have to ascertain whether the yield will be good or bad and whether it will benefit the farmer,” he said.
Sardesai, however, said the government will endorse the concept only after it is scientifically assessed. “We are part of the cosmos. This is not Jaddu. I do not think there’s anything wrong with cosmic science or cosmic farming. I see no harm to adopt the concept if it is proved that the input cost is less and the yield is equal to conventional farming,” he added.
Shiv Krishi Yog chief Usha Sardesai said the method involves meditating on the crop for 30 minutes, wherein one visualises and taps the energy from the sun to the plants, further visualising that it goes to the roots and water table. “This meditation should not be restricted during the paddy cultivation but should be carried out throughout the year to enhance the soil fertility,” she said.
Usha added: “There’s no religion involved here. When the pilot project was launched three months ago, fears were raised in some quarters, with some people trying to give the concept a religious colour since it involves chanting of mantras. The mantras
are nothing, but meditation to tap the energy from the sun to the plants.”
