IPM doesn t bring down costs
Has Integrated pest management (IPM) delivered results?
No. A 1995 paper showed IPM covered only 2 per cent of India's cropped area. There is no group action for IPM, and it is fully loaded with pesticide recommendations. The cost of cultivation with IPM is very high as compared to non-pesticidal management (NPM). In the 10 years of IPM implementation in Andhra Pradesh, more than 3,000 indebted farmers killed themselves due to high cost of cultivation.
NPM is labour-intensive. Is that a deterrent?
It is job-oriented. We encourage women's groups to open NPM shops, create rural employment. We want the prime minister's Bharat Nirman scheme to be used for this. Young farmers, who know about WTO and pesticide residues, are dead keen on NPM.
What is the way forward for CSA?
The next step should be towards social aspects of soil and water management. The role of the local government in sustainable agriculture is critical, and needs attention.
What is your best NPM experience?
When we started NPM work with farmers, men would sit in the front row and women would sit behind. Now, the women take the front row. They are NPM's torchbearers, the new village leadership. Nothing gives more satisfaction.