Majuli farmers dismiss reports on benefits from Hydroponics

The farming community of Majuli - world's largest river island - have rejected a news report published in a leading daily which suggests that the farmers of Majuli - world's largest river island - have reaped immense benefits from Hydroponics, a soil-less farming technology. They have claimed that only a handful of farmers have adopted this technology and are yet to gain profit from it.

Majuli (Assam):While reports have surfaced suggesting that the farmers of Majuli - the world's largest river island - in the northeastern state of Assam have benefitted tremendously from a farming technology called 'Hydroponics', the farming community has dismissed the report stating that they are yet to reap benefits from this newly introduced technique.

Hydroponics, a soil-less method of farming was, reportedly, recently introduced by an NGO called - SAFE (South Asian Forum for Environment) in Majuli which was taken up only by a handful of farmers.

"We have not got any benefit from this project. It is impossible to get crops with such kind of farming in monsoon. This kind of farming can't solve our problems, " said a farmer who adapted hydroponics farming.

The news report further suggested that the farmers of the river island await the annual deluge as it provides them with a 'floating' cultivation field. The cultivators, however, have rejected this statement.

"Floods have wreaked havoc in Majuli. Farmers are in distress as most of the paddy fields are submerged. Farmers can't hope for floods, this is completely untrue", a resident from the river island expressed his dissatisfaction over the news, published in a national daily on July 13.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Deba Prasad Mishra, Deputy Commissioner of Majul, said, "This initiative was taken by an organization named SAFE. However, it is too early to assess the fruitfulness of the project. We can ascertain it after assessment."

The news report referred to in the article claimed that as many as, "620-odd farmers are cultivating vegetables and herbs on 528 hydroponic trays – the equivalent of 10 acres of farmland.'

It further suggested that the farmers, who have adapted Hydroponics have had, "higher yields, more income and zero crop losses due to floods."

The handful of farmers, who have adapted this farming technique create square-shaped 'floating' fields or Hydroponic trays - eight feet wide and eight feet long - with the locally available bamboo sticks, thereby making it cost-effective.

Hydroponics is a soil-less method of farming where hydroponic trays -designed specially to hold the plants- are used and synthetic micro-macro nutrients that facilitate the growth of the plant are fed directly to them. Thereby, plants no longer waste valuable energy searching for diluted nutrients in the soil. Instead, they shift all of their focus on growing and producing fruits.

The mighty Brahmaputra has devoured much of the landmass of the ‘island'- which became the first island in India to be declared a district - reducing it from over 1,200 square kilometres to less than 450 square kilometres in area.