Bumper crop of vegetables, herbs despite insufficient rain Ludhiana/Samrala: Farming in our country is monsoon-driven, but there's no reason why it should be pesticide-driven. Taking an initiative in this direction, a number of farmers in Ludhiana district have taken to organic farming in a big way. Jasbir Singh is one such farmer, who has scripted a success story in this field. Braving insufficient rains, his seven-acre farm at Ghulal village, near Samrala, has a lineup of almost all seasonal vegetables, interspersed with medicinal herbs, spices and fruit trees. Surprisingly, instead of even-shaped vegetables lush with colour, the vegetables in his field are rather irregularly shaped and some of them even seem bleached of colour. "This itself is the USP of the organic produce. Unlike the vegetables that scream out their uniformity and strong colours, the organic produce allows for uniqueness that's natural," says the farmer who, in 2004, started with the protected cultivation of crops under low-cost net-house structure. His foray into the organic farming was in 2005 when his sick wife was advised a pesticide-free diet. He took up the membership of the Punjab Organic Council and his interest in the organic farming was whetted up. A regular training from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and meetings with farmers from other states provided him an impetus to take up this farming commercially. Apart from experimenting with rice and wheat, he has cultivated fruit trees like litchi, mango, berries, orange, amla and apple at his farm. This year, he plans to grow strawberries. He uses readily available items like bitter lassi, turmeric, garlic pods, cow dung cakes, jaggery to prepare chemical-free insect repellents. The vermicompost unit at his farm caters not only to his needs, but also to those of privately owned nurseries that buy vermicompost and vermiwash from his farm. "We have to dig deep into our wealth of traditional knowledge. Neem leaves that have insect-repelling properties may be boiled in water. Sprinkling this water on plants drives away the pests," he says. Jasbir believes that the organic farming is a viable option, though the input costs are high and a rigorous procedure has to be followed to get the "organic certification". "The soil has to be prepared in advance. It has to be cleared of all residues of pesticides and fertilisers. Initially, for a couple of years, the yield may be less as compared to that from the non-organic farming. However, later the quantity of produce improves significantly." Those who are into the organic farming can benefit from teaming up with like-minded farmers, he says. "An exchange of the technical know-how helps in improving the produce. Besides, if after every three years the farmers exchange with one another the organic seeds from their farms, there's an increase in the yield." His suggestion to amateur horticulturists: "Cultivate a pesticide-free kitchen garden. Grow green chillies, coriander, mint, spinach, tomato."