Regional Networking Meets to Boost Natural Farming Markets in AP

VIJAYAWADA: In a bid to strengthen market linkages for natural farming practitioners, the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) will organise a series of regional networking meetings across Andhra Pradesh from February 21 to March 3, 2026, under the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative.

The meetings will be held in Guntur, Rajahmundry, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Kuppam, with the objective of improving market access and ensuring remunerative prices for farmers adopting natural farming practices.

While the number of farmers cultivating crops through chemical-free methods has increased across the state, lack of structured coordination has often resulted in a gap between production and market demand. Aggregators, wholesalers, retailers, processing units and institutional buyers have, in several instances, sourced produce from other states, even as local farmers were forced to sell through middlemen at lower prices.

The regional networking meetings aim to bridge this gap by providing a common platform for farmers, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), aggregators and buyers to interact directly. Discussions will focus on quality standards, pricing mechanisms, packaging norms and supply schedules to promote transparency and long-term partnerships.

Senior officials from RySS, SERP and the agriculture and horticulture departments, along with district collectors, are expected to participate. District teams will provide follow-up support in logistics, storage, certification and transportation.