Natural farming only way forward to restore planetary health
Vijayawada: 'This is a historic day and game-changing moment where the entire agriculture and horticulture department and its leadership have come together to champion a shift towards practices that enhance farmer prosperity,' stated B Rajasekhar, Special Chief Secretary of the Agriculture and Cooperation Department.
He was addressing the inaugural session of a three-day district-level Training of Trainers (ToT) programme, which commenced Wednesday at all district headquarters. This programme aims at giving orientation to over 10,000 Rythu Seva Kendra functionaries across the State in June on the promotion of Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF). Rajasekhar emphasised that natural farming is a turning point, offering concrete solutions to major agrarian challenges.
During his virtual session from the State headquarters, Rajasekhar urged departmental officials attending the training to promote Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) in non-APCNF villages to ensure 365 days of green cover on farmland. He highlighted successful natural farming practitioners like Srinivasulu from Guntur district and Hema Latha from NTR district, who are actively exploring the science behind the practice.
T Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice-Chairperson of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), speaking virtually at the ToT launch, stressed the critical juncture faced by food consumers due to declining nutritional value, increasing pest resistance, rising carbon emissions, and economically unviable farming. He asserted, 'Natural Farming is not just a choice anymore; it is a necessity to restore the health of the planet and the dignity of the farmer.' This district-level ToT is a follow-up to the State-level programME and aims to orient all Village Agriculture Assistants (VAAs) and Village Horticulture Assistants (VHAs) statewide. Special arrangements were made at all district headquarters for smooth participation in virtual sessions with Heads of Departments. The training combines classroom learning with field-level exposure, providing grass-roots departmental functionaries with a comprehensive understanding of natural farming principles.
Dilli Rao, Director of Agriculture; Dr K Sreenivasulu, Director of Horticulture; Dr. D.V. Raidu, Advisor to RySS; and B. Rama Rao, Chief Executive Officer of RySS, also joined the virtual call and addressed the gathering.
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