KARNATAKA, INDIA, January 19 (IPS) – The state of Karnataka, southern India, has been struggling for the past three years—late monsoons, rising temperatures, and dramatic changes in patterns The weather is putting the state’s farmers in a predicament. .
Sugarcane and rice died en masse, causing considerable damage to the already stricken farming communities.
According to government reports, climate change is affecting Karnataka’s water cycle and precipitation, leading to heavy rainfall and flooding in some areas and drought in others. Extreme weather events have become more frequent and more intense in Karnataka over the past few years. The average annual rainfall in the state is 1,153 mm, with 74% falling in the southwest monsoon, 16% in the northeast monsoon and 10% in the pre-monsoon.
From 2001 to 2020, the state suffered a 15-year drought of variable intensity. Some areas have been in drought for more than five years in a row. Apart from 2005, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, Karnataka has seen severe flooding in 2005, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Flooding and landslides are a serious problem. for the fourth year since 2018. Floods and landslides have become the norm during the monsoon season in the southwest and northeast, which were previously most vulnerable to drought, reflecting the effects of climate change. climate change.
Farmers are concerned about the looming threat of climate change.
A year ago, Kondaji Reddy said farming was a “completely unsuitable” profession for survival.
“For several months, we worked hard in the field, planting sugar cane and planting rice. However, the late arrival of the monsoon wreaked havoc. Kondaji told IPS.
He added that for the many months together, his family had survived on the meager savings they had earned over the years.
“Then I thought I should give up farming forever and go to the city to work as a hired worker. At least my family won’t starve,” lamented the farmer.
Another farmer, M. Rachappa, shares a similar predicament. He said he used chemical fertilizers extensively, hoping to improve his harvest.
“However, things did not go as I expected. The land became barren… The crops I had sown for many months were destroyed. “All I could see were dry leaves and barren soil,” Rachappa said.
The farmer added that he was about to sell his ancestral land—spanning three acres—and buy some groceries in town. “I have lost all hope in farming. I had cultivated a firm belief in my mind that farming would no longer provide me with a decent life. But at the same time, I also mocked myself for trying to sell the land my ancestors worked so hard together for decades.”
To end the crisis, the farmers of this small village recently developed a unique strategy. They are applying techniques that can help them cope with the climate change crisis.
Polyculture is a method that farmers in crisis now rely on. It is a popular land management method that aims to increase agricultural production while diversifying crop structures for economic and environmental reasons. It reduces input, irrigation and labor costs, among other things.
Umesh Kalolli, a farmer who leads the practice and imparts this technique to other farmers in the village, said he learned about this farming method from a research institute.
“I am uncertain about my future due to frequent losses. I was about to give up farming forever, but a friend of mine encouraged me to seek help from professionals. He took me to an agricultural college, where I shared my predicament with researchers. For about three weeks, I trained in multi-crop farming. When I returned to my village, I started encouraging other farmers to use this farming method,” says Kalolli.
He added that besides polyculture, farmers are encouraged to give up the use of chemical fertilizers. Instead, they are required to adopt an organic farming method that not only makes the produce profitable but also high quality.
“There is an urgent need to revolutionize farming practices according to the natural system. This will be the greatest service to mankind. We need to focus on the marginalized and oppressed farmers so they can be empowered, and in this way, we will build a prosperous world for ourselves and future generations of farmers. us,” Kalolli added.
Rachappa, a farmer, says that right after training, he started applying the polyculture method on his land. He began to grow a variety of vegetables, fruits, sugar cane and rice at the same time. This not only saves him time, he says, but also eliminates the need for extensive irrigation facilities.
“After that, I cleverly switched to organic farming methods. I have stopped using chemical fertilizers in the field. I get cow dung from the cattle I have in the house. Today, I earn more than fifty thousand rupees (US$700) per month. I didn’t even once think about selling my land. I am satisfied with the profit it is giving me now,” said M. Rachappa.
Kondaji is also trained to grow organic vegetables and produce fertilizers.
“My farmers even helped me dig a hole in my backyard to decompose. It is a natural fertilizer. The vegetables I produce now require the least amount of water, so the late monsoons don’t bother me anymore. My product sells for a higher price because it’s organic,” Reddy said with a laugh.
Report of the UN IPS Office
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Office on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2023) — All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
