K Meerabi’s husband was disabled due to pesticides in 2008; this month, she earned acclaim for natural farming at Oxford

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story had stated that Meerabi had become widowed as her husband had inhaled pesticides and died. In fact, he had been paralysed and is now disabled. We regret the error.

It was a personal tragedy in 2008 that led K Meerabi of Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district to take up and innovate natural paddy farming. By 2024, the farmer from Ponnur town had showcased her work before an elite panel of experts from all over the world on natural farming at the United Kingdom’s Oxford University.

Meerabi represented Andhra Pradesh as well as the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) at the prestigious Oxford Real Farming Conference 2024. This global platform provided an opportunity for experts and farmers worldwide to convene and share experiences on sustainable and natural farming practices.

Meerabi is a state master trainer in natural farming in Andhra Pradesh —known as India’s ‘rice bowl’ — through her techniques of natural paddy and Navadhanyas (black sesame, Bengal gram, horse gram, green gram, white beans, chickpeas, black gram and wheat, besides rice).

She has inspired and motivated 230 women farmers who are small landholders, and their produce is hitting the shelves of niche markets, giving them good returns. Meerabi’s model — called ‘Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS)’ — has now spread to other districts of the state.

But Meerabi turned into a proponent of innovative and sustainable natural farming due to a familial tragedy.

Paralysed due to pesticides

Meerabi was born into a poor family and had to drop out of school in the sixth grade. She was married at 11 and had two children by 15 years of age.

It was then that things took a turn for the worse. Her husband Venkatrao, of Sundaru village in Guntur district, suffered a brain stroke. It was 2008.

Meerabi took to farming, being the sole breadwinner for her two young children, herself and her husband. The turning point came when she realised that the use of chemicals in conventional farming was not only affecting crop yields but had also caused her husband’s disability.

Venkatrao’s paralysis was attributed to ingesting harmful and toxic fumes of pesticides and fertilisers. Driven by the need for a sustainable solution, Meerabi embarked on a quest to explore alternative cultivation methods.

She assumed the role of a chief resource person in 2009, advocating for natural farming. 

Meerabi’s journey took a significant leap when she introduced innovative techniques such as PMDS and dribbling methods. These methods allowed her not only to diversify her crop cultivation but also to achieve the remarkable feat of cultivating 30 different crops annually, resulting in substantial profits. The financial success was coupled with a profound improvement in soil health, showcasing the potential of sustainable and natural farming practices.

 

“Natural farming has not only changed my life but has also proven to be economically viable. The shift to chemical-free farming on one acre of land in 2012 not only reduced my annual investment cost to Rs 19,000 but also yielded profits of Rs 1.5 lakh. Consistent application of PMDS and cultivating multiple crops contributed to improved soil health. Remarkably, even without the use of inoculants like Ghana (solid) and Drava Jeevamruthas (liquid nutrients) last year, the yield maintained exceptional quality,” Meerabi told Down To Earth (DTE).

Since 2019, Meerabi has been an integral part of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), serving as a sub-divisional anchor and master trainer.

She acknowledged the significant role played by RySS Executive Vice-Chairman T Vijay Kumar in her journey: “His unwavering commitment to uplifting farmers and his vision of bringing natural farming to every household in the state motivated me to persevere in my role, regardless of the challenges. I was also honoured when Pawan Sukhdev, top environmental economist, gave me a hearing and also mentored me along with Vijay Kumar.”

She also spoke about her presentation at Oxford. “Not even in my wildest dreams had I imagined that I would represent the state on a global platform.”

“I aspire to make a meaningful impact on as many people as possible. My goal is to encourage them to embrace natural farming, not only for its profitability but also for the broader benefit of providing quality chemical-free food to everyone,” she said.

RySS experts have christened her natural farming techniques as the ‘Meerabi Model’.

In a world grappling with environmental concerns and the need for sustainable practices, Meerabi’s journey provides a timely and inspirational narrative. Her impact on the agricultural landscape goes beyond mere productivity; it encompasses the holistic well-being of the environment, the community, and the individuals involved in the farming process, RySS experts said.

“There could be many thousands of women, not just in my state but also all across the country, who might be suffering from chemical ingestion during their farming operations. As we know, women farm workers do most of the farming work, right from making nurseries, transplanting, and administering fertiliser and pesticides. In every process, they expose themselves to harmful chemicals, which have a telling effect on their health and are passed onto their progeny, which can be prevented through the methods that I have adopted in my farm,” Meerabi told DTE. 

K Meerabi’s journey is not merely a personal success story; it could be a clarion call for action for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to agriculture. Her impact on the global stage, particularly at Oxford University, signifies the growing recognition and acceptance of natural farming practices as a viable and transformative solution, said paddy cultivation experts at the NG Ranga Institute of Paddy Cultivation.