Anantapur: MANAGE conducts training for agri dealers

Anantapur: A 40-member Mana Gromor dealers batch is under training accorded by the Hyderabad-based National Institute for Agriculture Extension Services Management Agency (MANAGE). The Institute is offering a diploma course to input dealers titled as Diploma in Agriculture Extension Services to Input dealers through Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) as a nodal agency at district level with coordinating facilitator. This is one-year long course weekly one-day classes includes 40 theory classes and 8 field visits. The training will be on 4 modules including technical knowledge on crop production, pest, disease, weed management, extension methods, laws related to agriculture trade and personality development.

In 2022-23 dealers had been enrolling their names to join this course, as the qualification of minimum diploma course is fixed for obtaining fertilisers and pesticide license.

The course is productive tool in enhancing the dealers on inputs marketing agriculture produce and value addition techniques, reducing pesticide usage and guiding the farmers.

In Anantapur, one exclusive batch with 40 candidates working in Mana Gromor Retail counters which almost contributes 20 percent share in input distribution. In addition, three more batches with dealers now undergoing the course.

Ranga Swamy, a retired Assistant Director of Agriculture, acting as a facilitator, stated that the course helps dealers in bridging the technical information marketing sources of agriculture produce and guiding the farmers towards innovative interventions for better quality non-residual agri productions.

M C Maddileti, Project Director, ATMA , speaking on the occasion, said the focus is to train up all the dealers in the district. Out of 700 active dealers, 160 dealers have completed the course and 160 dealers are now undergoing the course remaining will be covered in the next year.