Help for 10 Lakh AP Farmers To Fully Shift to Natural Farming
RySS aims to convert farmers into Seed-to-Seed practitioners under eco-friendly farming push.
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has set an ambitious target of transforming 10 lakh farmers into full-fledged natural farming practitioners this year, so as to expand sustainable agriculture across the state.
This was announced by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) chief executive officer B Rama Rao at a training programme for natural farming staff held in Guntur on Wednesday.
The initiative aims to convert farmers into S2S (Seed to Seed) practitioners, meaning they would completely adopt natural farming practices from seed selection to harvesting and seed preservation.
The programme forms a crucial step in strengthening eco-friendly agriculture while reducing farmers’ dependence on chemical inputs.
Rama Rao noted that since 2016, the state has been implementing the community-managed natural farming process, under which nearly 40 lakh farmers have been brought into the fold of natural farming. Building on this progress, the government would declare 2026 as the S2S Year.
He directed field-level staff working under Rythu Seva Kendras and internal community resource persons to ensure success of the programme.
According to Rama Rao, grassroots-level mobilisation and consistent guidance to farmers are important in achieving the ambitious target.
The RySS CEO also highlighted the importance of adopting pre-monsoon dry sowing, a technique that helps keep farmland covered with vegetation round the year.
The method not only improves soil fertility but also enhances moisture retention and crop resilience, thereby strengthening farmers’ incomes while promoting environmental sustainability.
Senior consultant Rayudu advised farmers to use indigenous seed varieties as part of natural farming practices. Cultivating 10 to 12 varieties of intercrops helps increase the carbon content in soil, improve fertility and boost crop yields over a period of time.
Officials, he said, must encourage farmers to adopt innovative models such as “ATM A-Grade” systems to manage pests and diseases that often arise due to monocropping practices.
