New Delhi, March 2 (IANS) NITI Aayog on Monday said that it has organised a two-day national workshop on natural farming under its State Support Mission (SSM), bringing together farmers, policymakers, scientists, start-ups and civil society groups from across India to discuss ways to promote sustainable agriculture.
A major highlight of the event was the launch of new training manuals on natural farming in both Hindi and English.
These manuals are designed to provide practical and region-specific guidance to farmers, extension officers and field-level workers to help them adopt natural farming methods more effectively.
The workshop featured a virtual address by Acharya Devvrat, the Governor of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
In his address, he stressed the need to shift towards sustainable and farmer-focused agricultural systems.
“Natural farming can improve soil health, reduce the cost of chemical inputs and increase farmers’ incomes over time,” he said.
Several leading agricultural and research institutions participated in the discussions, including Junagadh Agricultural University, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry and Gujarat Natural Farming Science University.
Their involvement added scientific depth to the deliberations on natural farming practices and validation.
Farmers, agricultural officers and scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendras across Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha took part in the workshop, showing strong nationwide interest in transitioning towards natural farming methods.
Officials from key central bodies and ministries shared their views on certification, market linkages, financial support and coordination between institutions to support farmers adopting natural farming.
The workshop also saw participation from agri-startups, civil society organisations, farmer producer groups and experienced practitioners, highlighting the growing ecosystem around natural farming in India.
On the first day, around 770 participants attended the sessions. An open house discussion gave farmers and practitioners an opportunity to raise concerns and share field-level challenges related to adoption, certification and access to markets.
There was broad agreement on the need for stronger field demonstrations, scientific validation and farmer-led models to build confidence in natural farming.
The second day focused on field visits and live demonstrations. Participants observed natural farming practices on the ground, including packages of practices for various exotic crops and the preparation of bio-inputs both manually and through automated setups.
–IANS
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