Organic farmer Narayana Reddy dies at 83

L Narayana Reddy, a globally acclaimed organic farmer from Varthur here, breathed his last on Monday morning. Known for his passion, the 83-year-old farmer conducted classes on organic farming till his last day.

Reddy asked his family members on Sunday to take him to a doctor as he was feeling ill. “He used to get up before dawn every day. On Monday, my grandfather did not wake up early, and that’s when we realised he was no more,” said one of his family members. He taught students on Saturday and Sunday at Doddaballapura at Bengaluru Rural District.

Reddy’s last rites were held at Sorahunse Village near Varthur.

Ram Prasad V, the co-founder of Friends of Lakes, said he met Reddy three weeks ago to discuss composting.

“Whenever I met him, I used to get a positive vibe from him.

“He is that one person who wanted farmers to be independent and self-reliant in terms of everything. He is such a fearless man who called spade a spade,” he said.

Reddy’s tryst with organic farming was sealed in 1976 when a California-based tourist gave him Japanese organic farmer Masanobu Fukuoka’s book ‘One Straw Revolution’.

Reddy adopted various techniques after reading the book. He refrained from using chemicals and practised only organic farming thereafter.

It was the happiest moment in Reddy’s life when his ‘teacher’ Fukuoka, with the help of a local NGO, visited his farm in Varthur in 1988. The members of European Commission also visited his farm in 1992.

He was conferred with Nadoja award for his contribution to agriculture.