RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director General (Agricultural Extension) Udham Singh Gautam, here on Tuesday, said that the Central government was preparing to enable individual farmers to set up 10,000 Bio-Resource Centres (BRCs) to meet the demand for various alternatives to fertilisers and pesticides, thus boosting natural farming methods under the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).
Speaking at a press conference at the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI-Rajahmundry), Mr. Gautam said: “The production and availability of various components required for natural farming cannot meet the actual requirement. The BRCs will produce and supply excess components such as Jeevamrut to local farmers once their need is met in the natural farming.”
He added that the Centre is currently identifying the farmers as part of the NMNF and will offer them financial aid up to ₹10 lakh to set up the BRCs across the country. “As many as 425 Krishi Vignan Kendras (KVKs) have been working on natural farming. The shift towards natural farming is viable in a phased manner, given the dependence on pesticides and insecticides in the agriculture sector,” he said.
Engaging the youth
“Many youths have aggressively shifted towards agriculture in recent years. We have also intensified efforts to involve more youths in the sector. The Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA) programme has garnered 40,000 youths toward full-time agriculture,” said Mr. Gautam. “However, our aim is to ensure that the farmer himself becomes an entrepreneur to make agriculture more profitable by exploring marketing avenues,” he added.
Climate change
On the impact of climate change on crops and yield, Mr. Gautam said: “Nearly 151 KVKs are working on tackling vulnerabilities in the agriculture sector due to climate change. However, soil health has degraded owing to extreme weather conditions in recent years.”
Meanwhile on Tuesday, a three-day workshop on the KVKs’ innovations and research began at the CTRI campus here. The ICAR, CTRI and Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI-Hyderabad) are jointly organising the workshop. Scientists from the KVKs of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu States and Puducherry are participating.
