by Ravi Bhasra
WALVANDA, June 18, 2018: Bosco Samajik Vikas Sanstha (BSVS) organised a two-day workshop on Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) for nearly 50 farmers of Jawhar block on June 11 and 12, to help them end their reliance on loans and cut their production costs.
The word 'budget' refers to credit and expenses, therefore the phrase 'Zero Budget' means without using any credit, and without spending any money on purchased input. 'Natural farming' means farming with nature and without chemicals.
Rishikesh Ghute from Satara was the resource person for the workshop. BSVS aims to promote ZBNF in Jawhar and Mokhada blocks of Palghar district. In the first phase, 10 youth farmers will be selected and will be given intensive training on ZBNF.
Each trained youth farmer will then be motivated to bring into cultivation one acre of land. In the second phase, along with the one-acre farm, the youth farmer will assist two other farmers to cultivate an acre of land under ZBNF method. In the third phase, the youth farmer would then assist three new farmers to cultivate an acre of land.
In the first year, 10 acres of land would be cultivated through the ZBNF method. In the second year, 30 acres of land would be cultivated and in the third year, 60 acres of land cultivated.
This workshop was the first step of the agriculture improvement plan conceived by Father Anaclete D'Mello, Director BSVS. Gulab Vijal, a newly elected Sarpanch of Walvanda inaugurated the workshop in the presence of Father D'Mello and the main agricultural activities promotion officers of BSVS, Ravi Bhasra, Rahul Ahir and Jithendra Zole.