Kerala to start AP’s natural farming on its 64 plots
natural farming is the need of the hour to produce healthy food products
Vijayawada: A delegation from Kerala comprising senior officials and progressive farmers concluded its multi-district tour of Andhra Pradesh on Friday, with a closing session at the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) office in Guntur.
The delegation announced that it will replicate natural farming techniques that it has learnt during its tour on 64 plots in Kerala.
During its tour of the state, the Kerala team studied the science behind natural farming, implementation of such farm strategies, and field-level impact of these practices.
Addressing the concluding session, T. Vijay Kumar, executive vice chairman of RySS, which spearheads the Andhra Pradesh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative in AP, shared insights into the two-decade journey of natural farming in Andhra Pradesh.
Vijay Kumar emphasised how the programme focused on capacity building, youth empowerment and knowledge-sharing among farmers. He highlighted the crucial role played by pioneering natural farmers, whose success stories have inspired broader adoption of these practices.
Kerala agriculture director Sriram Venkitaraman praised RySS for its efforts in helping the Kerala team learn the natural farming techniques. These will be replicated across 64 plots throughout Kerala in the near future, he pointed out.
AP agriculture deputy director N. Balu Naik gave details of proactive measures that the state government took in promoting natural farming, including training programmes and distribution of Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) kits.
Horticulture additional director C.B. Harinatha Reddy declared that natural farming is the need of the hour to produce healthy food products, promote environmental protection and ensure better public health outcomes.