Brief:Puducherry Farmers Embrace Agro-Homeopathy for Sustainable, Chemical-Free Farming
Location: Bahour and surrounding villages, Puducherry
Date: 26 October 2025
Source: New Indian Express, Puducherry 26 Oct, 2025

Overview

• Under the project AHAR – Agro‑Homeopathy for Sustainable Agriculture (led by Sri Aurobindo Society), farmers are replacing conventional chemical fertilisers and pesticides with homeopathic formulations.
• The initiative began in 2018, starting with laboratory trials and moving to field trials (first on lady’s finger, then on paddy).
• The field experiment used a randomized block design: eight treatments (six homeopathic combinations, one standard NPK fertiliser, one control). The best-performing homeopathic treatment was then extended to farmers.

Key Findings & Impacts

• Over three crop seasons (Navarai, Samba, Thaladi) in the Bahour area, the agro-homeopathy method showed positive signs: improved soil fertility, greater presence of earthworms (indicator of soil health), reduced reliance on chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
• Cost-saving: Where chemical fertiliser input cost per hectare used to be around ₹20,000–30,000, with agro-homeopathy the input cost dropped to about ₹700 per hectare plus labour cost (₹7,000–8,000) for spraying.
• Yield trends: One farmer reported that his yield per acre dropped from 65 bags to 57 bags in the first year of switching, but by the third year it increased to 87 bags. Grain quality (weight, colour) improved and the produce fetched better market rate.
• Market & scale-up potential: Currently ~30 farmers practice the method in Bahour; the Society aims to expand to 300–400 farmers, form a Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) and move toward organic certification so produce can command premium prices.

Challenges & Considerations

• Transition requires patience: The initial years may show lower yields while the soil restores and system stabilises. One quote notes: “Though the benefits are clear, challenges remain. Farmers need patience…”
• Early-phase subsidies or government support may be critical for broader adoption. Without initial incentive/support the barrier to switching remains.
• Food-security considerations: It is suggested that scaling up should be gradual to avoid risks when entire areas move away from proven fertiliser- systems.

Relevance & Significance

• This initiative aligns strongly with themes of sustainability, ecological farming, chemical-input reduction, and soil health restoration.
• It reinforces the perspective that homoeopathy has potential applications beyond human medicine—including agriculture—and supports the idea of a more integrated approach to health, environment and farming systems.
• For policy-makers, it offers a tangible example of low-cost, low-input farming interventions that can reduce chemical dependency and promote agro-ecological resilience.
• For farmers, the results point to economic viability: lower inputs, better soil health, potential premium output and improved environmental footprint.

Implications for Stakeholders

• For research bodies: Need for further trials, documentation and peer-reviewed evidence to validate and scale the method.
• For farm-organisations and FPOs: Opportunity to adopt and promote homeopathy-based agro-inputs, especially in regions seeking chemical-free agriculture.
• For policy-makers / government agencies: Consideration of support mechanisms (subsidies, technical assistance, training) to encourage early-adopters and transition periods.
• For consumer/market: Chemical-free produce grown via agro-homeopathy may attract premium pricing and appeal to environmentally conscious markets.

Courtesy: Dr Shivang Swaminarayan, Chairman - Public Relations, HMAI Gujarat State, India
M# 9898200557

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