NITI Aayog lauds natural farming practices in AP

The success of natural farming practices, particularly its potential for transforming the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers is commendable, said Prof Dr Ramesh Chand, member (agriculture) of NITI Aayog.

A distinguished team from NITI Aayog, led by Prof Dr Ramesh Chand visited Krishna and Eluru districts on Thursday to gain deeper insights into the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) model, implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) under the state department of agriculture. The two-day visit aims at exploring the state’s pioneering efforts in natural farming and its impact on small and marginal farmers.

The eight-member team started their visit with an orientation session at Swarna Bharath Trust training centre in Atkur village led by T Vijay Kumar.

Dr Praveen Kumar Singh, commissioner (agriculture), Dr Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, deputy director general, Natural Resource Management (NRM), ICAR, Dr Rajbir Singh, assistant director general (agronomy, agroforestry & climate change), ICAR, Dr Neelam Patel, programme director, NITI Aayog, Dr R Sarada Jayalakshmi Devi, vice-chancellor, ANGRAU, Paremal Banafarr, agriculture and allied sectors vertical, NITI Aayog also spoke.

B Rama Rao, CEO, RySS, S Dilli Rao, director, agriculture, Samuel Anand, executive director, and other senior officials Dr D V Raidu, Varaprasad, Zakir, Gopichand, DPMs Pardhasaradhii and Vijaya Kumari also participated.

Later, the team visited Venkata Puram in Eluru district. The APCNF officials showcased the economic benefits of adopting S2S (seed to seed) chemical-free natural farming protocols in paddy cultivation.

The team also interacted with the Self-Help Groups which are playing a key role in the implementation of APCNF.

The NITI Aayog delegation visited the photo exhibition at TTDC, Vatluru which showcased the resilience of APCNF crops in comparison to chemical crops, particularly in the aftermath of the Michaung cyclone.

Durga Apparao, P Sarojini and several other farmers told the team how natural farming enabled them to withstand extreme weather conditions better than their chemically grown counterparts.

Officials Chandrasekhar, Aruna and Tata Rao, DPM Eluru participated along with delegates.