Five-Day Natural Farming Training for Krishi Sakhis Concludes

Udaipur. The five-day residential training program for Krishi Sakhis under the National Mission on Natural Farming, organized with the support of the Agriculture Department and Rajeevika, concluded at Vidya Bhavan Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Badgaon. In this program, 60 Krishi Sakhis from Udaipur district were trained in natural farming practices.

Chief Guest, Dr. Ajit Kumar Karnataka, Vice Chancellor of Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, explained how India became self-reliant in food production during the Green Revolution and achieved record yields. He highlighted the differences between natural and organic farming. Dr. Karnataka shared the importance of formulations like Beejamrit for seed protection, Jeevamrit and Ghanjeevamrit for soil fertility, and natural pesticides such as Neem Astr, Agni Astr, and Dashparni Ark. He also emphasized boosting maize production.

Social worker Gajpal Singh Rathore urged promotion of cow-based farming to support the Prime Minister’s vision of chemical-free agriculture. Dr. Mohar Singh Meena, Principal Scientist, ATARI, spoke on the need for natural farming and briefed participants on ICAR’s various schemes. Senior Scientist and Head, Dr. P.C. Bhatnagar, presented a detailed report of the training program, shared information about the center’s activities, and stressed the importance of promoting natural farming at the grassroots level through integrated farming systems.

Joint Director of Agriculture Extension, Sudhir Verma, highlighted the adverse impact of chemical-intensive farming and shared details about the five BRC centers for natural farming in the region. District Project Manager of Rajeevika, Khyalilal Khatik, explained livelihood promotion activities under Rajeevika. Dr. Bhagwat Singh Chauhan, Nodal Officer of the National Mission on Natural Farming, gave a complete overview of the theoretical and practical components of the five-day training, including educational visits.

The program was also attended by Assistant Director of Agriculture Shyam Salvi, Meetali Rathore, KVK scientists Dr. Deepak Jain, Hasmukh Gehlot, Dr. Jeevan Ram Jat, Dr. Seema Dangi, Dr. Bahadur Singh, Mahipal Singh, Dhirendra Vyas, Achal Samdani, Babusingh, Sanjay Dhakad, Rajesh Sen from Seva Mandir, and Naresh Nain from Manjari Foundation. The event was conducted by Hasmukh Gehlot and Dr. Bhagwat Singh, while the vote of thanks was proposed by Shyam Salvi.