Farmers in Salumbar District Receive Training on Organic Farming

Udaipur: Specialized training in organic farming was provided to farmers by subject experts at the Directorate of Extension Education, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur. The program aimed to educate farmers on the utilization of organic fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and other organic products through locally available resources. The training also included live demonstrations on the preparation and application of these products. Recognizing the harmful effects of excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and other chemicals in agriculture on human health, other living beings, and soil health, the initiative aimed to promote better alternatives for organic farming in Salumbar district. The district administration, led by Mr. Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, the District Collector, actively supported the initiative and selected five farmers from each block to undergo the training. The farmers were trained in the university premises on the cultivation of wheat, gram, fenugreek, and other crops using only organic products. The program was conducted in collaboration with Mr. Ghaus Mohammad, Deputy Director of Agriculture (Extension), Salumbar, and Abhimanyu Singh (Public Relations Officer) along with the support of Hindustan Zinc Limited, Jawar Mines. District Collector Mr. Jasmeet Singh Sandhu actively participated in the training, visited various university units, interacted with farmers, and encouraged them to adopt organic farming practices. Dr. R.A. Kaushik, Director of Extension Education, Dr. R.S. Rathore, Coordinator, Agricultural Technology Information Centre, Purushottam Lal Bhatt, Deputy Director, Udaan Salumbar, Abhimanyu Singh, Neha Diwan (C.S.R.), among others, attended the interactive session. The meeting included insights from Dr. Ravikant Sharma, Project Coordinator, All India Network Project, Shravan Kumar Yadav, and Ravi Jain, showcasing the utility of organic research projects.

**Keywords: Salumbar District, Maharana Pratap University, Organic Farming, Farmers' Training, Agricultural Sustainability.**