‘Time to focus on improving soil health through organic farming’

It is time farmers turned their attention towards improving the soil health of their fields by practising organic or natural farming, says T.R. Ammiahraj, a Tiruchi-based farmer who was presented with an award at the South India Natural Farming Summit 2025 held in Coimbatore recently.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the award to him at the summit in recognition of his contributions in the field of natural farming.

A postgraduate in business administration, Mr. Ammiahraj, 54, took to the family vocation of agriculture, mostly cultivating banana and paddy in Tiruchi. Inspired by Nammazhvar’s organic farming methods and after attending a training programme by Subhash Palekar, he took to natural farming at his 40-hectare farm at Kumbaraiyur in Kodaikanal where he now raises exotic fruits such as avocado, abiu and rambutan, besides pepper. He rears Gir breed of cows at the farm.

“Natural farming is different from organic farming. It involves preserving the natural flora and fauna, restoring soil health and fertility and enhancing the soil’s biological life. Nothing is brought from outside. Only biological methods are used to control pests and diseases. Thanks to our approach, the organic carbon content in our farm at Kodaikanal has risen to over 4%. However, natural farming is possible only in horticulture corps,” he says.

Mr. Ammiahraj contends that it is time farmers moved away from heavy use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to improve productivity. They should shift towards organic farming in a gradual way so as to improve the organic carbon content, which has fallen below 1% in the country.

“It is possible for farmers to switch over to organic farming by gradually reducing inorganic inputs within three years without affecting the yield. This will not only improve the soil health in their field but also enhance the quality of their produce and shelf life. Organically grown farm produce also fetch better returns,” he says.