Farmers of Amlipara Village, Kushalgarh Tehsil of Banswara District, Jaipur have become an inspiration for natural sustainable farming in the state. Their innovation in the field of natural farming has now reached Rajasthan Chief Minister’s office and their model is being considered to be implemented all over the state.
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A team appointed by Chief Minister’s Rajasthan Economic Transformation Advisory Council along with Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) recently visited the village where farmers of Amlipara have successfully implemented an integrated farming model.
The team understood the techniques being used and how they can be replicated as a model in the state at large. The council interacted with the farmers and their representatives to understand their vision, problems, and their demands.
Chief Minister’s Rajasthan Economic Transformation Advisory Council consists of noted economist Dr. Arvind Mayaram as the Vice-Chairman. Other members include economist Dr. Ashok Gulati, businessmen Anil Agrawal and Laxmi Niwas Mittal, former banker Naina Lal Kidwai, actress Nandita Das among others.
The team that represented the council comprised of at least 20 officials from agriculture and associated departments.
The team interacted with farmers named Prakash Damor, Mansingh, Katru Damor, and also with Jayesh Joshi, Secretary VAAGDHARA. In Banswara the farming technique adopted by the farmers is done with VAAGDHARA intervention.
The council visited their nutrition garden, checked how they prepared organic manure, organic pesticide, plants bearing fruits and vegetables, also monitored how the community-managed seed system works.
During an interaction with these farmers, they understood their problems, what role animal husbandry plays in integrated farming, and how they are sustaining One of the farmers Prakash Damor shared, "Initial three years in natural farming isn’t profitable, we have to bear a loss and hardly get support from the government. Besides support we also need assistance during the time of loss; we need livestock for all the farmers so that he has a continuous earning, basic training related to diseases in livestock,”
Another farmer Mansingh added that basic tools are needed such as vermicompost beds, resources for irrigation, Sirohi breed goats, construction of improved cattle shed under NREGA, topsoil conservation, preventing soil erosion, and good water supply.”
After listening to the problems and demands of farmers, officials appreciated the initiative of integrated farming and prepared a midterm report which was later presented by them the council in form of a presentation.
