Soil Health & Farming

Earlier, when we practiced traditional farming, many earthworms used to fertilize our soil, and cultivation was good. Now, various types of fertilizers, pesticides, and poisons are being used by us.

— KARUKAR MURMU · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Applying cow dung manure to the land is decreasing. Instead, chemical fertilizers are being used. Along with the decrease in soil fertility, the land's

— KARUKAR MURMU

People of the past used to cultivate saawa, kodo, menjhari, bajra, and maize, and their bodies were strong. But today, by eating grains grown with fertilizer...

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Previously, crops would grow without fertilizer. Cow dung was spread in the fields, and then grains were sown, resulting in excellent crops. But now, it seems to grow better with urea.

— Kamleah Kumar · Ammatola, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, you all used to farm, and you cultivated using fertilizer.

— Niranjan Lauria · Boudh, Odisha

We are no longer getting manure for our farming because people are not keeping cattle anymore. Everyone relies on chemical fertilizers, which is why we are becoming more prone to diseases.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Currently, eating food cultivated with chemical substances is harming our health, but our ancestors used to cultivate according to nature using organic methods and were free from diseases.

— Padmalochan Majhi · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Mona Pramoda, in the past, we had traditional food without fertilizer, and people lived for many years by eating that food. But now, by eating food with fertilizer, many types of diseases are staying in our bodies.

— swornalata nayak · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

Mona, your priest, and we will bring back the past related to farming. People used to do organic farming earlier, using manure or cow dung. Now, we are using chemical fertilizers.

— KRUSHNA KHILLO

Earlier, farming was done using cow dung and goat droppings; that was the fertilizer for the crops, and Kodo millet grew better with it.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Nowadays, traditional fertilizers like cow dung and ash are not used in farming. Chemical fertilizers like urea, DAP, and phosphate are being used more. This should not happen.

— VEER SINGH SIJUI · Durusai, Seraikela-Kharsawan, Jharkhand

Name: Sanjabati Pradhan. Village: Dapargaon. GP: Kanjamendi Block K. Nuagaon. I am a woman farmer. Traditionally, we used to cultivate using organic cow dung manure. Currently, due to the use of chemical fertilizers in the hope of more profit, we are eating poison every day and have destroyed our bodies. Therefore, if we do traditional farming, we will remain healthy.

— Sidheswar Nayak · Kandhamal, Odisha

We used to farm using cow dung and goat manure; this was the fertilizer for the crops, and all crops like Kodo, Menjhari, Barley, and Saawa were grown with this agricultural fertilizer.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

In the past, we used to eat various things from the hills, such as Kangu Jona Ganthia, and lived well because of them. Things that grew without fertilizer used to ripen quickly. Now, nothing is ripening from the hills, and they are not cultivating them anymore.

— Prakash ch Pradhani · Karubai, Rayagada, Odisha

Earlier, our ancestors used to store grains in mud granaries at home, and there used to be good yields. But now, when we store them in steel granaries, the crops don't grow.

— Hariparkash kharadi · Katarwas Khurd, Udaipur, Rajasthan

My name is Jayanti Pradhan. My village is Brenguda. The Panchayat is Badamunda. The block is Tikabali. In the old days, we used to cultivate millet, sorghum, and maize without fertilizer, and our health was not particularly bad. Now, we don't even get those seeds. And what is being cultivated, that requires fertilizer. That's why we are living with poor health.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

The fertility of the land is being destroyed by the use of chemical fertilizers.

— Arati Khandapatra · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

The fertility of the land is being destroyed by the use of chemical fertilizers.

— Arati Khandapatra · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

In our region, 'Gati Kandha' is available/common. People of the past used to eat all such things, and because of that, their bodies remained healthy. Nowadays, people are consuming foods that contain fertilizers (or are chemically treated), which is causing many types of diseases to arise.

— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Our ancestors used to farm with plows and bullocks. But nowadays, all those things are disappearing.

— NAGRIK VIKASH SANGATHAN · Kalahandi, Odisha

Nowadays, forests are being cleared. We used to get food from the forest, but now we are not getting it. Instead, we are consuming food grown with chemical fertilizers.

— jitendra khila · kudumulugumma, Malkangiri, Odisha

Our ancestors used to cultivate without fertilizer, and that was delicious and healthy. But now, that taste is not available.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Our fathers and grandfathers used to cultivate traditional crops earlier, fertilizing them with cow dung, and grew pulses like moong, urad, kulthi, along with millets such as ragi and bajra.

— Parikshit Majhi

Earlier, they used to farm with less water and without fertilizer. That crop was market maize; even after keeping it for about a year, the maize would get infested with weevils. But Kodo Millet remains very good for 2 years and does not spoil.

— Kamleah Kumar · Kota, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

To fertilize the mother soil, which has become barren due to the use of chemical fertilizers, through organic methods.

— Upendra Kumar Mahananda

Traditional methods, the traditional methods of farming that were used before. All the earthworms would survive and loosen the soil. Now, when we plow with a tractor or our power tiller, the earthworms...

— KARUKAR MURMU · Gandhinagar, Rayagada, Odisha

My name is Chandrika Pradhan. My village is Panga Bidungia, block is Tikabali. In the olden days, we used to keep seeds in pots. We kept them because, in the olden days, we didn't use fertilizer. Nowadays, we are using fertilizer. That's why we can't keep our seeds for many days. We want to return to the previous state.

— Sunita Pradhan · Tikabali, Kandhamal, Odisha

Producing through traditional agriculture, farming without fertilizer. Various types of fruits, medicinal plants and creepers etc. found in forests are no longer available.

— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

Traditional agriculture

— Common Ground · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha

Traditional agriculture

— KRUSHNA KHILLO · Semiliguda, Koraput, Odisha

Nutritious food is not available from farming as before; all food available is cultivated with fertilizers. Various root-based foods are also not available in the forest.

— KAPAL MARNDI · Bissamcuttack, Rayagada, Odisha

I used to farm without fertilizer and with less water. After keeping bajra, maize, and kodo for a year, the maize was running out, but the kodo was not.

— Kamleah Kumar · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

Now, old farming is not practiced.

— Kachala Choudhary

Old people used to do mixed farming, they used cow dung manure.

— Kachala Choudhary