Latest news with #PMDS
Hans India
4 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Natural farming only way forward to restore planetary health
Vijayawada: 'This is a historic day and game-changing moment where the entire agriculture and horticulture department and its leadership have come together to champion a shift towards practices that enhance farmer prosperity,' stated B Rajasekhar, Special Chief Secretary of the Agriculture and Cooperation Department. He was addressing the inaugural session of a three-day district-level Training of Trainers (ToT) programme, which commenced Wednesday at all district headquarters. This programme aims at giving orientation to over 10,000 Rythu Seva Kendra functionaries across the State in June on the promotion of Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Farming (APCNF). Rajasekhar emphasised that natural farming is a turning point, offering concrete solutions to major agrarian challenges. During his virtual session from the State headquarters, Rajasekhar urged departmental officials attending the training to promote Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) in non-APCNF villages to ensure 365 days of green cover on farmland. He highlighted successful natural farming practitioners like Srinivasulu from Guntur district and Hema Latha from NTR district, who are actively exploring the science behind the practice. T Vijay Kumar, Executive Vice-Chairperson of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), speaking virtually at the ToT launch, stressed the critical juncture faced by food consumers due to declining nutritional value, increasing pest resistance, rising carbon emissions, and economically unviable farming. He asserted, 'Natural Farming is not just a choice anymore; it is a necessity to restore the health of the planet and the dignity of the farmer.' This district-level ToT is a follow-up to the State-level programME and aims to orient all Village Agriculture Assistants (VAAs) and Village Horticulture Assistants (VHAs) statewide. Special arrangements were made at all district headquarters for smooth participation in virtual sessions with Heads of Departments. The training combines classroom learning with field-level exposure, providing grass-roots departmental functionaries with a comprehensive understanding of natural farming principles. Dilli Rao, Director of Agriculture; Dr K Sreenivasulu, Director of Horticulture; Dr. D.V. Raidu, Advisor to RySS; and B. Rama Rao, Chief Executive Officer of RySS, also joined the virtual call and addressed the gathering.
Hans India
27-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
This woman makes farming profitable
Vijayawada: Battula Hema Satya Venkata Lakshmi Prasanna also briefly called Hema, a woman farmer from Veerapanenigudem in Gannavaram mandal of Krishna district, never imagined that she would make farming profitable. She used to practice chemical farming once and found herself on the verge of quitting agriculture. With a mere one-acre landholding of her own and three additional acres taken on lease, she struggled to make ends meet. Her mango orchard, inherited and cultivated with chemical inputs, had been incurring loss year after year. The escalating costs of fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation had pushed her into debt. It was during this time of despair that the AP Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) programme implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), introduced her to a ray of hope with pre-monsoon dry sowing (PMDS). In 2020, Hema adopted PMDS by sowing 12 kg of Navadhanya (nine traditional grains) per acre before the monsoon. The technique was repeated each year from 2021 to 2025 by increasing the varieties of seeds up to 30. This simple yet powerful intervention transformed her soil structure, increased water holding capacity, and drastically reduced input costs. She started using bio-stimulants which include Ghana Jeevamrutham and Drava Jeevamrutham, along with botanical extracts such as Agnastram, Panchagavya and cow dung asafoetida solution. Fallen mangoes were fermented and used as a jaggery substitute in preparations of bio-stimulants and growth promoters completing the cycle of on-farm resource utilisation. The results were remarkable. With each passing year, Hema witnessed a steady rise in income. She claims: 'From Rs 1.20 lakh in 2020, my earnings soared to Rs 3 lakh in 2021, Rs 4 lakh in 2022, Rs 5 lakh in 2023, Rs 5.60 lakh in 2024, and a phenomenal Rs 10 lakh in 2025. Alongside the mango orchard, I have cultivated vegetables, leafy greens and marigold flowers.' In addition, the family now earns up to Rs 10,000 per month by selling surplus vegetables, while their two indigenous cows benefit from year-round green fodder. The natural quality of her produce created high demand in the local market. With the help of Self Help Group (SHG) members and RySS staff, she began promoting her farm products through WhatsApp groups. This direct communication led to advance bookings, particularly for her mangoes. Even government employees near the local Primary Health Centre have become regular buyers, often visiting the orchard to make purchases directly. Hema, thanks to PMDS and natural farming practice, now irrigates her orchard far less frequently even during summers because of improved soil moisture retention. The same red rocky land that once demanded excessive effort has now become fertile and manageable. Even 30-year-old mango trees are showing improved productivity. Additionally, she is earning from the sale of livestock fodder grown on her land. Today, Hema stands as a beacon of hope for many farmers in her region. Once on the brink of quitting, she is now a successful farmer and a community resource person with RySS. Her journey showcases how traditional wisdom, when combined with sustainable practices, can turn around even the most challenging agricultural situations.
Hans India
14-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
Collector calls for promoting PMDS on a large scale
Tirupati: District Collector Dr S Venkateswar has instructed agriculture and horticulture officials to take up Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) extensively across the district to improve soil health and boost Kharif crop yields. He held a review meeting with the officials on Tuesday to assess the progress and preparedness for PMDS implementation. During the meeting, the Collector inspected the PMDS seed kits and discussed the sowing process with the concerned officers. He stated that PMDS offers multiple benefits to farmers and informed that each kit comprises seeds of 30 different crops. Farmers are advised to sow 10–15 kilograms of seeds per acre, and a target of 50,000 kits has been set for distribution ahead of the Kharif season. He emphasized that every farmer should take up PMDS between the mango harvest and paddy transplantation periods to ensure better productivity. The Collector highlighted that PMDS improves soil fertility, promotes biodiversity, and increases organic carbon levels among other benefits. He further directed officials to encourage PMDS even in non-APCNF villages and ensure that at least 25 seed kits are cultivated under each gram panchayat. District Agriculture Officer Prasad Rao, Horticulture Officer Dasaratharami Reddy, and Project Manager A Shanmugam were present in the meeting.
Hans India
21-04-2025
- Health
- Hans India
A journey of struggles, transformation, success
Vijayawada: For four years, V Rani from a remote village in Guntur district, has been cultivating land with dedication and perseverance, but her journey into farming was not an easy thing. Before this, she and her family were engaged in farming elsewhere, but life took an unexpected turn. Due to some personal stress, she accidentally consumed poison, leading to severe health complications. She underwent treatment at NRI Hospital and as a result, had to abandon her previous farmland, which was located far from their new place of residence. During this uncertain time, Uma Devi, a working community resource person from APCNF (Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming) introduced Rani to a new farming opportunity. Initially, it was a barren dryland filled with weeds, and not suitable for cultivation. However, driven by dire financial necessity, she took the decision to take the land on lease for Rs 12,000. She began natural farming with pre monsoon dry sowing (PMDS) seeds, sowing paddy first, followed by intercropping with green gram. Unfortunately, the yield was poor, as the land was still infertile. Uma Devi then suggested planting red gram along the bunds and marigold flowers to support biodiversity and pest control. In the first year, despite planting PMDS seeds, the primary crop did not flourish. However, Uma Devi provided alternative seeds, including sorrel, spinach, and Amaranthus, which fared better. Rani managed to earn Rs 5,000 from these crops. Over time, she received an increasing plant growth PMDS seeds from 17 types in the first year, 27 in the second, and 30 in the third year. While larger crops like maize and green gram took time to succeed, smaller crops such as jowar and ragi showed promise. Despite initial failures, Rani remained steadfast. There were moments when she thought of giving up, especially when maize crops failed entirely in the second year. However, Uma Devi reassured Rani, that natural farming would yield long-term benefits. Natural farming methods played a key role in her farming success. She adopted techniques such as spraying bio stimulants like Drava Jeevamrutham to enrich the soil and using growth promoters like fish amino acid during plant growth and applying natural botanical extracts like Neemastram and Agniastram which were cost-effective when compared to chemical pesticides. When pest infestations increased, she prepared Agniastram using small onions, green chilies, neem leaves, cow urine, and Calotropis leaves. She tested its effectiveness by pouring the mixture over pests, witnessing their immediate demise. She adopted seed palletisation, which involved coating seeds with ash and cow urine before sowing to ensure better germination even in dry conditions. Over time, she also introduced intercropping with pigeon pea along the field borders, maximising productivity and soil health. Through persistent effort, Rani increased her yield from 10 bags per acre to 40 bags using natural farming methods and drastically reducing expenses. While chemical farming required Rs 40,000–Rs 50,000 per acre, Rani's naturalfarming methods cost only Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. She followed bio-stimulants, botanical extracts, and yellow sticky traps in pest control. Previously, she suffered from gastric issues, which improved significantly after switching to food that produced from natural farming. Rani's journey showcases the power of resilience, adaptation, and belief in sustainable natural farming practices. She is an inspiration for farmers to embrace natural farming, proving that with determination, even barren land can also flourish.
