5,000 villages to become pesticide-free in State

HYDERABAD: Decision of the Union Government to sanction an additional assistance of Rs. 182 crore to the non-pesticidal management (NPM) – a mission to take up organic farming by bringing down the use of pesticides – has given a fillip to the entire activity.

With the new thrust given by the Centre, 25 lakh acres in 5,000 villages spread across 18 districts in the State will be brought under organic farming. The programme was actually initiated in 23,000 acres in 450 villages of nine districts in 2005-06. It was extended to 1,250 villages covering 80,000 farmers in 17 districts the next year.