Demand for organic pesticides manufactured from Gaumutra has been continuously increasing
Raipur: The state government’s ambitious Godhan Nyay Yojana has become a beacon of hope for economic empowerment and rural development. The scheme not only provides employment opportunities to villagers, self-help groups, livestock farmers, and women, but also strengthens the rural economy. By purchasing vermicompost and organic pesticides made from cow dung and Gaumutra, farmers are encouraged to adopt organic farming practices. As of February, Gauthans have purchased 107.75 lakh quintals of cow dung, and payments totaling Rs. 215.50 crores have been made.
Moreover, the purchase of Gaumutra has increased the income of self-help groups. Women in Birkona village in Kawardha district and self-help groups in Birendranangar Gauthan are purchasing Gaumutra and manufacturing Bramhastra organic pesticide from it. Triveni Devi Anant, Secretary of Sangam Self-help Group of Birkona Gauthan said that her group has sold 2400 liters of Gaumutra and 600 liters of Bramhastra organic pesticide. They have received an order for an additional 600 liters of pesticide, which they have already prepared.
Chhattisgarh has become the first state in India to purchase Gaumutra from villagers and livestock farmers at a rate of Rs. 4 per liter, in addition to purchasing cow dung at Rs. 2 per kilogram, under the Godhan Nyay Yojana. The success of purchasing cow dung paved the way for the procurement of Gaumutra, which is being used to manufacture Jivamrit, pest-control products, and growth promoters. These initiatives aim to reduce the toxicity in food grains and decrease farming costs, as the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers and insecticides is destroying the nutrition in food and decreasing soil fertility. Agricultural scientists have suggested that Gaumutra is a better and more cost-effective alternative to chemical insecticides, as it provides greater disease resistance and helps control pests more effectively, particularly those that eat leaves and prune fruits and stems.
