EEI, Hyd had launched an Action Research Project titled ‘Adoption and Establishment of Agri- Nutri Smart village at Nagar Kurnool District of Telangana’ during February 2024

Extension Education Institute, Hyderabad had launched an Action Research Project titled ‘Adoption and Establishment of Agri- Nutri Smart village at Nagar Kurnool District of Telangana’, during February 2023, at Avancha village of Thimmajipet mandal, Nagarkurnool District, Telangana. The project is of 2 years duration with the main objective of surveying the dietary patterns of the villagers, advocating them on the importance of incorporating nutrition in diets through synergizing it with their crop plans and capacity building. As a part of the baseline survey, a Nutritional Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was done on 5-2-2024 at the gram panchayat office, Avancha village by involving the PG students (5nos) of Extension Education and Communication Management, College of Community Sciences, Hyderabad. The Nutritional PRA included the mapping of foods to be included in daily diets and their dosages for different age groups in a family. The mapping was done using a food pyramid and real food items so that real time experience of foods can be created. In order to make the required vegetables and locally grown fruits available to the family, round the year, a scientific method of establishing Nutrition Garden in the ‘Key hole method’ was mapped and explained to the villagers. It was further communicated to the villagers that interested families can register their names with the local AEO, so that required training and seed inputs will be given in the next meeting to establish the Key hole nutrition garden in their back yard. Earlier, agricultural students of PJTSAU (5nos), who are placed at Avancha village, under RAWEP programme by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Palem, had conducted village level PRA to assess and map the village resources and cropping patterns. The Nutritional PRA was combined with the village PRA which had attracted large number of villagers and school children to witness the mapping and listen to their explanation. The Nutritional PRA was coordinated by Sri. Kamalakar, Agricultural Officer of Timmajipet Mandal, Sri. Sai Ram AEO and Dr. M. Preethi, Professor, Extension Education Institute, Hyderabad.