Kerala Delegation Praises AP's Natural Farming Practices

The delegation's visit, from July 26 to 29, aims to gain insights into sustainable farming models. Led by district project manager Subhashini, the team visited model farms to observe the implementation of core natural farming principles.

At Doddavaram village of Maddipadu mandal, the team inspected the farm of Ram Anjaneyulu, who cultivates 20 varieties of crops on 2.5 acres. The visitors studied his adoption of the nine universal principles of natural farming and discussed his crop selection techniques. They appreciated the biodiversity and sustainability of his model and commended his efforts.

Later, at Padarti village in Kothapatnam mandal, the team enquired about the A-grade groundnut cultivation integrated with intercrops and border crops by one Mastan, who has been earning additional income through this method. They expressed that such integrated approaches should be adopted by more farmers.

They also studied PMDS (Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing) in horticulture and soil health improvement through vermi-composting by Katta Surendra. In Kothapatnam village, they were shown around a bio-resource centre run by Malleshwari, where the preparation of solid Jeevamrutham and seed treatment processes were demonstrated.

The visitors said AP’s progress in natural farming and the commitment of its farmers were inspiring. They noted that the visit had provided them with practical knowledge, which they planned to share with farmers in Kerala to encourage sustainable farming. Senior consultant and retired IAS officer D.V. Raidu, along with RySS officials and natural farming staff, accompanied the visitors.