Vedanta University Project conducts capacity-building training programmes for local farmers

Nov. 27, 2009 - PRLog -- Puri, 27-11-09: With the objective of providing practical exposure and capacity-building of local farmers for improved agricultural practices, a series of training programmes have been conducted recently by the Vedanta University Project of Anil Agarwal Foundation under its farmers’ livelihood initiative, SAFAL (Sustainable Action for Farmers’ Livelihood). The training programmes have been conducted over a period of more than one month, between 13th October and 23rd November, with active participation of the officials of SAFAL and the two farmers’ cooperatives formed under the SAFAL initiative earlier. About 286 farmers from 12 villages in and around the Vedanta University Project site enthusiastically participated in the training programmes as per schedule. While the modality and the schedules of the training programmes were coordinated by the officials of SAFAL and the said farmers’ cooperatives, Jay Jagannath Krushak Samabaya Ltd, Chalisbatia and Baba Beleswar  Krushak  Samabaya Ltd, Chhaitana, reputed resource persons and experts in the concerned field imparted  training to the farmers.

Resource persons and experts provided intensive training to different groups of farmers belonging to different villages on cultivation of pulses like Green gram and Black gram as well as flowers like Marigold and Sunflower. Issues and problem areas like proper seeds, seed treatment, soil compatibility, soil nutrients, use of bio-fertilisers, cropping pattern, scientific inputs, nursery management, disease and pest control, crop storage and marketing were discussed threadbare with special focus on their solution. Benefits available to farmers, their Self Help Groups and Cooperatives, under National Horticulture Mission (NHM), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), etc were also discussed and farmers’ queries were answered. Explaining the objective of these training programmes, Prashanta Hota, GM, CSR & PR says, “Capacity building of farmers on identified sub sectors is a major thrust area as far as adoption of improved agricultural practices in the operational area are concerned. Given the over-all objective of significantly augmenting farmers’ family income under our SAFAL initiative, success of such training programmes are quite crucial. We are very happy with the enthusiastic response and participation of the local farmers in all our programmes.” Expressing satisfaction with the steady progress of the farmers’ livelihood initiative, SAFAL, Sanjeev Anand Zutshi , Director of Vedanta University Project says, “ At a time when the state of agriculture and the lot of farmers are a matter of great concern in Orissa as well as the country as a whole, the progress of SAFAL is quite heartening. I am sure, this initiative will not only bring about a significant improvement in the farm sector and the farmers’ income in and around our project area, but also, it will set an example for others.”

Resource persons and experts in different farming sub sectors like B.C. Barik, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Nimapara;  Jagabandhu Mishra, Assistant Agriculture Officer, Gop; Prakash Chandra Panda, Agri Business-cum-Extension Specialist, SAFAL; Nakula Chandra Patra, Consultant, NFSM, Puri; Bibiram Swain, Plant Protection Officer, Puri; Bikash Prusty, Assistant Agriculture Officer, Puri; M.N.Swain, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Puri; Ganesh Chandra Das, Dept. of Agriculture, Bhubaneswar; Dr Debasis Mishra, Area Manager, JK Agrigenetics, Bhubaneswar;  Ranjitav Mohanty, MD, OASIS Nurseries, Bhuaneswar and Satya Narayan Sahoo, Marketing Officer, Pioneer Seeds, Bhubaneswar  participated in the training programmes  so as to make them successful. Participating farmers were also taken on exposure visits to different agricultural fields under hybrid paddy cultivation and to OASIS Nurseries at Bhubaneswar in order to gain first-hand knowledge and experience.

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The proposed University is going to be set up near Puri, Orissa at a cost of Rs 15, 000 crores. Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman< vedanta Resources Plc has pledged an amount of $ 1 billion to initiate the project. The University will be a not-for-profit one.