Subhash Palekar seeks ‘U-turn’ from Green Revolution-era farm policies in Andhra Pradesh

Published 16 June 2026 · india

Noted agricultural scientist and Padma Shri awardee Subhash Palekar has suggested a total U-turn in State policies on agricultural practices, not only to restore soil

Noted agricultural scientist and Padma Shri awardee Subhash Palekar has suggested a total U-turn in State policies on agricultural practices, not only to restore soil fertility but also to bring back the health lost by humankind. The founder of ‘Subhash Palekar Krishi’, a form of agriculture using natural and cow-based techniques, interacted with The Hindu on the sidelines of a national seminar conducted in association with the Botany department of Sri Venkateswara University. Natural-farming exponent Subhash Palekar questions Andhra Pradesh's claim that 10 lakh farmers practise natural farming, asking why fertiliser use keeps rising. He says chemical-damaged soil can recover in a year under his method. Video: @iamrangarajanpic.twitter.com/KgirZF6mYf — The Hindu - Andhra Pradesh (@THAndhra) June 16, 2026 The five-day event, inaugurated by SVU Rector Ch.

Appa Rao and Registrar M. Bhupathi Naidu, saw the voluntary participation of more than 850 farmers from across the southern States. Demand of the time Dubbing the Green Revolution a ‘demand of the time’ when India struggled to meet its food security needs, Mr. Palekar said tackling hunger had taken priority over human health in the seventies. “Things have changed now and we have to trace back our roots, change the very concept of agriculture to restore soil health, and thus human health,” he said, insisting that the reform should start from the academic curriculum of agricultural colleges and reflect down to the level of recommendations to the last farmer. Natural-farming exponent Subhash Palekar says his method leaves more money in farmers' hands by ending their spending on seed, chemical fertiliser, pesticides and tractors.

Video: @iamrangarajanpic.twitter.com/phokYcpRgp — The Hindu - Andhra Pradesh (@THAndhra) June 16, 2026 He criticised the Central and State governments for making hollow claims over the spread of organic farming, rather than introspecting on its actual implementation. “If 10 lakh farmers are practising natural or organic farming, as claimed by the state government, why is this clamour today over urea shortage?” He said the government was clueless about his concept of agriculture. “Their perceived knowledge of ‘Subhash Palekar Krishi’ is totally different from what I preach and practice,” he said, quoting officials and scientists who had attended his workshops. Asked how long it would take to restore soil health from the ill-effects of urea and chemical fertilisers, he said: “Just one year.