iECHO ON CAMPUS (Online) Training programme on Promotion of Natural farming in Agriculture and Allied sectors for the Officers of Departments of Agriculture and Allied Sectors, Southern States of India. Organized by EEI, HYDERABAD from 15th -19th October, 2024

Natural Farming is a disruptive farm practice addressing major concerns of farmers such as rising cost of production, climate change and ill effects of indiscriminate use of chemicals on human and animal health. Several farmers in diverse farming systems and crops are already adopting and reaping the benefits of Natural farming in India. Keeping this in view, EEI has taken an innovative stride of upgrading the knowledge of gross root level extension functionaries on Natural farming by organizing a five days training programme from 15th -19th October, 2024 in online mode through iECHO platform.The topics covered in the programme are: Overview on Natural farming, Integration of Allied Sectors in Natural Farming, Farmer’s experience in Natural farming and marketing of products, FPOs in Natural farming: Virtual tour and interaction with Natural farming FPO members, Community Led Natural farming: Challenges and Opportunities in scaling up of, Innovations in Pest Management: Gel based Pheromones as Mating Disruption Tool, Extension Strategies in Natural farming, Certifications for Natural farming products, Gender budgeting and GOI Schemes and Low Cost Organic inputs in Natural farming. Blog demonstration, Case Based Learning and Small group discussions in Breakout rooms are the practical components incorporated in the training. 25 number of participants representing Agriculture, Veterinary and Animal husbandry and Fisheries from Telangana, Andhrapradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha and Andaman and Nicobar islands took part in the programme. The training is coordinated by Dr. R. Vasantha, Professor, EEI, Hyderabad. Dr M. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Director, EEI speaking on the occasion of inauguration indicated that Natural farming is an ecologically sustainable and economically viable method that holds potential to realize the goals of upliftment, empowerment and stability of farmers in the technical, economic and social realm. He reminded the participants that Government of India to motivate farmers to adopt natural farming, has formulated National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) as a separate and independent scheme from 2023-24 by up scaling the Bhartiya Prakritik Krishi Paddati (BPKP). As the success of Natural farming will require behavioral change in farmers to shift from chemical based inputs to cow based locally produced inputs, Extension professionals play a key role in continuous creation of awareness, training, handholding and capacity building of farmers in the initial years he added.