Latest news with #Pre-MonsoonDrySowing
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
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.
