Farmer – Scientist interface meeting on 31.05.2022 at KVK, Wyra

The 21st century also has agriculture and its allied sectors is the leading sector of Indian economy providing employment and livelihood and contributes about 17% to the country’s gross value added. The slow growth in agricultural sector is causing concerns for the future food and nutritional security to vast growing population of this country. Now a days, many emerging challenges are faced by Indian farmers including inadequate land and water availability, degradation of natural resources, climate vagaries, shift in demand and consumption pattern, population explosion and trade liberalization. More than 86% of Indian farm families are constituted by marginal and small categories of farmers. In India, 60% of the farmers do not have access to any source of information about modern agricultural technology that help in improving the productivity. The diverse nature of Indian subcontinent with its varied agro-climatic regions and wide range of socio-economic background of rural masses require specific agricultural extension approaches. In this context, the farmer scientist interface meetings help in creating greater awareness to the farmers on the available technologies to secure livelihood of farming rather than just increasing their agricultural production. KVK, Wyra organised one such farmer scientist interface on 31.05.2022 in connection with release of 11th phase Prime Minister’s Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. The scientists created awareness to farmers and farm women on available technologies that help in reducing the cost of cultivation and enhance productivity, the need for growing green manure crops prior to Kharif sowings to improve the soil organic carbon and restore soil fertility, diverge into producing pulses, green leafy and other vegetables for nutrition security there by empowering them. These capacity building programs help in motivating the farmers and farm women to adopt diversified modern practices and technologies for higher average employment days and improved income generation. The meeting was graced by public representatives including Sri. Nallamala Venkateswara Rao, District RBS Coordinator, Smt. N. Kanaka Durga, ZPTC member, Wyra, Sri. Lal Mahmood, ZP Co-option member, Sr, M. Nageswara Rao, Mandal RBS Coordinator, Sr. M. Narashimha Rao, District RBS member, agriculture and horticulture department officials including Smt. B. Saritha, DAO I/c, Khammam, Smt. G. Anasuya, DSHO, Khammam, Smt. D. Anitha, ADH, Wyra, Agriculture officers, Horticulture officers and AEO of Khammam district, scientists Dr. Jessie Suneetha W, Dr. K. Ravi Kumar, Dr. V. Chaitanya, Mrs. P. S. M. Phanisri and other staff of KVK, Wyra. A total of 593 farmers, farm women and RAWEP students from Agricultural College, Aswaraopet along with 22 public representatives, department officials and KVK staff were present in the meeting. As part of this program an agricultural exhibition was also organised with various technology models, pulses and millet varieties, drudgery reducing devices and ICM in various crops.