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PROMOTION OF ORGANIC FARMING AND ORGANIC MANURE PRODUCTION

Contact addressDepartment Of Enviromental SciencesCentre For Soil And Crop Managemenet Studies

Tamil Nadu Agricultural UniversityCoimbatore 641003

Background

Organic farming is a system where readily soluble, synthetic fertilizer and biocides are avoided duringcultivation. It relies on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, particularly vermicompost,legumes, green manures, and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and tilth. Organicfarming is recommended because the present chemical and machine dominated agriculture practicehas resulted in i) loss of natural habitat and species of flora and fauna, ii) pollution of ground andsurface water, iii) damage of soil structure, iv) reduced fertility of sol, v) health hazards in food, vi)reduction in food quality, vii) waste of energy since it is an energy intensive system, ix) economically

costly. On the contrary organic farming maintains the ecological balance, enhances soil structure, tilthand quality of food and is economically cheap.

Tamil Nadu has total cropped area of about 6.63 mha with the diversified crops as rice, cotton,sugarcane, pulses, fruits, flowers and vegetables of which 10% of the area can be brought underorganic farming with the available resources. There had been a decline in soil organic matter from1.20 % in 1970s to 0.68 % in 2000. Organic matter content is usually used as an index of soil health,since it influences the soil in three ways, such as, physically, chemically, and biologically. Cropresidues and animal dung are good sources of organic wastes to improve the organic matter contentin the soil. In Tamil Nadu 200 lakh tones of crop residues and 300 lakh tones of animal dung areavailable. These wastes can be composted and good organic manure will be obtained. Composting isallowing organic materials to decompose under more or less controlled conditions to produce astabilized product that can be used as a fertilizer and/ or soil amendment. Daily around 75 tonnes of

municipal solid waste is generated in each block. From the bio-degradable waste (45%) 16.75 tonnesof organic manure will be produced on 60th day . Annualy 5000 tonnes of organic manures producedin each block.

Project Rationale

The awareness of organic farming is lacking among the farmers. It is the need of the hour to switch tosustainable farming from intensive farming. Organic farming practices gives the opportunity to thefarmers to use all the organic resources available for crop production instead of depending only onchemical fertilizers. In the solid waste management, large quantities of organic wastes are not fullyutilized. for manure making. Most of the wastes are either burnt or discarded openly. If all the wastesare fully utilized for manure making large quantities of organic manure will be available for use and

the environment will be very clean. So a model is necessary to educate the farmers to learn things. Byutilizing all the organic manures it is possible to supply 2.1 lakh tonnes of nitrogen, 1.2 lakh tonnes ofphosphorus and 2.7 lakh tonnes of potassium.

3. Project Strategy

Farmers and self help groups will be trained in 129 blocks of 9 districts (Salem, Dharmapuri,Krishnagiri, Namakkal, Perambalur, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore and Villupuram) onorganic farming and organic manure production and establishment of vermicompost unit, modelmunicipal waste composting unit and bio-inputs production units. The trained farmers / self helpgroups will start doing organic farming and organic manure production units as well as bio-inputsproduction units. This will serve good source of organic inputs in those areas.

4. Project Goals

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To impart training on organic farming to farmers/ SHGs

To impart training on organic manure production to farmers/ SHGs Establishment of vermicompost model units in farmers holding and municipal waste

composting units and bio-inputs production units at block level

5.Project components

The project has the following components and the details are presented below the list of components.

5.1 Training on organic farming5.2 Training on organic manure production5.3 Establishment of vermicompost model units, municipal compost units and bio-inputs

production units.

5.1 Training on organic farming

a PurposeTo create awareness among the farmers about organic farming and motivating them toadopt organic farming practices

b ObjectivesOrganic farming area should be increased in Tamil Nadu

c OutputsMore organic growers will be formed and organic growers group will be formed to get themaximum benefits through organic farming

d Performance targetsIn the first year around 10 farmers in each block will be turned to organic farming

e ActivityIn each block 100 farmers identified by Department of agriculture will be trained on organicfarming and all the literatures on organic farming will be given to them for adoption. Theinterested farmers who have decided to adopt the organic farming will be given periodical

counseling.f Inputs

i. Resource material on organic farming practices for ready reference

g Implementation arrangements

1. Department of Agriculture: Selection of farmers and self help groups2. TNAU: Imparting training

h Data sources and monitoring evaluationTNAU will monitor the organic farming and get the database on organic farming for

different crops.

5.2 Training on organic manure production

a PurposeTo create awareness among the farmers about organic manure production and motivatingthem to produce organic manures.

b ObjectivesOrganic manure production should be increased in Tamil Nadu by utilizing all the wastesgenerated in farmers field.

c OutputsMore organic production units will be established at block level and large quantities of

organic manure will be utilized for farming. Due to this organic content will be increased inthe soil and soil health is improved

d Performance targetsThe farmers and self help groups will understand the science of utilizing all the bio-

degradable waste for agricultural productione Activity

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In each block 100 farmers identified by department of agriculture will be trained on organicmanure production and all the literatures on organic manure production will be given to themfor practices. The interested farmers who have decided to adopt the organic manureproduction will be given periodical counseling.

f Inputs

i. Resource material on organic manure production will be given to farmers for practicing

organic manure production.g Implementation arrangements

i) Department of Agriculture: Selection of farmers and self help groupsii) TNAU: Imparting training

h Data sources and monitoring evaluationTNAU will keep in touch with organic manure producers and give advisory and

technical support for quality organic manure production

5.3 Establishment of vermicompot units, municipal waste compost units and bio-inputsproduction units

a PurposeTo motivate the farmers, SHGs and NGOs to start their own production units at block levelfor organic manure production and bio-inputs production.

b ObjectivesAll the farm waste generated will be fully composted and put back to the field for organicmatter content increase.All the biodegradable municipal solid waste generated will be composted and make it asmanureAt block level bio-inputs production units will start functioning

c OutputsMore organic manure production units will be established at block level and large

quantities of organic manure will be utilized for farming.There will not be any accumulation of municipal solid waste at block level and more manurewill be available for useAll the bio-inputs will be available in large quantity at block level

d Performance targets

In the first year around 5 farmers will start producing vermicompostOne SHG will start doing the municipal waste composting in each blockOne SHG/ NGO will do the bio-inputs production unit in each block

e ActivityIn each block 5 farmers identified by department of agriculture will be given 50% subsidy toestablish the vermicomposting unitsAt block level one SHG will be identified and 50% subsidy will be given to establishmunicipal waste composting unitAt block level one SHG / NGO will be identified for getting 50% subsidy for starting bio-inputproduction unit

f Inputs

i. Resource material for establishment and complete monitoring the process and quality

control of the product will be done.g Implementation arrangements

i) Department of Agriculture: Selection of self help groups/ NGOsii) TNAU: Technical support and quality monitoring

h Data sources and monitoring evaluationThe Department of Agriculture will periodically observe the process, collect samples

for quality analysis at TNAU.

6. Project cost and financing for 2007-08 (Rs in lakhs )

S.No Project activity Department ofAgriculture

TNAU

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1 Training on organic farming

1.1 Selection of farmers/ SHG for the training(100 person / block)

----------

1.2 Imparting training on organic farming to thefarmers/ SHG and distribution of literatures

------------ 38.70

2 Training on organic manure production

2.2 Selection of farmers / SHG for the training(100 person / block)

-----------

2.3 Imparting training on organic manureproduction to the farmers/ SHG anddistribution of literatures

------------- 38.70

3 Establishment of organic manure andbio-input production units

3.1 Erection of vermicompost model unit in 435farm holdings

293.48 * --------

3.2 Vermicompost production monitoring visit byTNAU

------------ 6.45

3.3 Establishment of model municipal compostunit 87 blocks

264.23 *

3.4 Municipal compost process monitoring andquality control analysis

----------- 51.60

3.5 Establishment of bio-input production units87 numbers. ( one in each block)

161.25 * ----------

3.6 Training on bio-inputs manufacturing andmonitoring

---------- 12.90

Total budget 718.96 148.35

* 50% subsidy

7. Implementation chart for the project

Activity Months from the start of the project

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Training on organic farming

Training on organic manure production

Establishment of vermicompost unit, municipal waste compostunit and bio-compost production unit

8. ReportingThe monthly progress report and annual report will be submitted by TNAU and by the

respective block level officer. The final report will be submitted after five years or as the projectextended by the Government.