Srinagar, March 27: The first round of a five-day training programme on Natural Farming (NF) for Krishi Sakhis, Community Resource Persons (CRPs) of Harwan block, organised by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Srinagar, concluded Thursday. The training, conducted from March 20 to 26 was held under the aegis of SAMETI and aimed at equipping participants with sustainable agricultural practices.
The valedictory ceremony, held at the Directorate of Extension, SKUAST-K, was chaired by Professor Raihana Habib, Director of Extension, and presided over by Professor S.A. Simnani, Head of KVK Srinagar. The event was also graced by Professor Poonam Parihar (Division of Agricultural Extension, SKUAST-J), District Nodal Officer for NF Syed Gulzar, and Dr Liyaqat Ali (Professor In-Charge, KVK Cell), along with scientists Dr Gazanfer Gani and Dr Rayees Wani, technical staff, and the participating Krishi Sakhis.
In her address, Professor Raihana Habib underscored the importance of transitioning to natural farming to enhance soil health, restore agricultural ecosystems, and build climate resilience. She commended KVK Srinagar for successfully delivering a result-oriented training programme and encouraged the establishment of model demonstration farms under the NMNF Scheme to showcase the benefits of natural farming.
Professor S.A. Simnani welcomed the chief guest and other dignitaries, emphasising the urgent need to adopt chemical-free farming practices to reduce dependency on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. A technical session on the final day featured a presentation by Professor Poonam Parihar, who elaborated on the role of Krishi Sakhis as para-extension workers, post-training job opportunities, and entrepreneurship in NF product development. She encouraged the trainees to become change agents in promoting natural farming.
The five-day training was conducted by master trainers and coordinators at the KVK and district levels, covering theoretical insights and hands-on training in farm bio-input preparation. Dr Ishtiyak Mir moderated the session, while Dr Aasima Rafiq (Master Trainer) provided a comprehensive summary of the course. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr Uzma Bashir, acknowledging the contributions of Dr Poonam Sharma, Dr Purshottam (Directorate of Extension, SKUAST-K), officials from the Agriculture Department, technical staff from SAMETI and members of the media for their coverage.
