A retired air force officer promotes the use of "Pancha Gavya", a preparation made from cow products, for agriculture. It contains cow dung, urine, ghee, milk, and curd. Farmers who used Pancha Gavya reported higher yields of 50% and harvesting 15 days earlier. One farmer harvested 1,300 banana bundles from 80 cents of land using Pancha Gavya, whereas a relative without Pancha Gavya harvested only 1,200 bundles from 1.7 acres.

1. Page 1 of 2
Date:05/10/2005 URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2005/10/05/stories/2005100503150200.htm
Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada
Cow gives pesticide too!
G. Ravikiran
Retired Air Force officer promotes use of `Pancha Gavya', a preparation from cow's
products, in agriculture
Cow dung, urine, ghee, milk, curd, sugarcane juice, tender coconut water, fresh toddy and
ripe banana goes into the product
It can be used as a fertiliser too and will apparently yield 50 p.c. more yield
GOING BIO: Y. V. Krishna Rao watches as a farmer prepares quot;Pancha Gavyaquot;
solution at Nimmakuru in Krishna district. - PHOTO: CH.VIJAYA BHASKAR.
VIJAYAWADA: Wing Commander Y.V. Krishna Rao (Retired) travelled places till he
settled down in Secunderabad. But his passion for agriculture spurred him to do something
for farmers. He left his family and returned to his village, Nimmakuru, the birthplace of N.T.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005100503150200.htm&date... 10/29/2006

2. Page 2 of 2
Rama Rao.
Here he set out on his dream project of preparing and promoting use of quot;Pancha Gavyaquot;, a
Vedic preparation with five cow products - dung, ghee, urine, milk and curd. Sugarcane
juice, tender coconut water, fresh toddy and ripe banana too go into it. The yellowish brown
liquid leaves the place smelling like dung and urine with a special tang wafting due to the
use of ghee, milk and sugarcane.
Pest for pests
quot;Pests stay away just by the smell of the mixture,quot; says Mr. Rao, talking to farmers. He
came to know about Pancha Gavya through the story of a physician Natarajan of Kodumudi
in Tamil Nadu. Dr. Natarajan tasted Pancha Gavya served at a Shivalayam on a Maha
Shivarathri day. It was meant to purify the body. He noticed the effect of the Vedic solution
and went on to promote its use in varied fields including agriculture.
Mr. Krishna Rao followed it up in his native place, sensitising farmers in the coastal districts
to organic farming. He focussed on the advantages of Pancha Gavya as a pesticide as well as
a natural fertiliser.
Paddy farmers liked his slogan - use the solution five times and reap 40 to 50 per cent higher
yields. It would advance harvesting by 15 days.
Many farmers, who used the solution, reported good results. Some bought cows and began
making the preparation. In recognition of his services, District Collector Navin Mittal made
Mr. Rao a member of the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), engaged
in helping farmers in farm mechanisation.
Yield record
Mr. Rao got the cow products from a nearby ashram. He sold Pancha Gavya at Rs. 25 a litre.
Three litres would be enough for one acre. Ravi Krishna Mohana Rao, a farmer hailing from
Epuru in Guntur district, used the solution on banana, turmeric and betel leaf in 20 acres. In
80 cents of banana crop, he reaped 1,300 bundles using Pancha Gavya. His relative, who did
not use Pancha Gavya, ended up with ,200 bundles from 1.7 acres. Mr. Rao's crop showed a
healthier growth. He bought a cow too to prepare the solution.
© Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2005100503150200.htm&date... 10/29/2006