In a bid to reduce vulnerability and food insecurity, Caritas India and Misereor-supported U3 programme is turning to several new approaches to agriculture including farming techniques, popularising new crops, improved irrigation systems and additional income sources.

The strategy focuses on capacitating and training smallholder farmers on climate resilient-cum-adaptive agriculture and livelihoods models.

An exposure cum training event was organised by one of the 14 implementing partners of the U3 programme, Hyderabad Archdiocesan Social Service Society (HASSS) for the project team and Lead farmers at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Hyderabad on 12 December 2022. A total of 80 people including partner directors, State Program Associates, Project implementers, Community Educators of 7 implementing partners along with the Lead farmers attended this capacity-building program. The event included farmer’s registration and mela inauguration.

Mr Sri Krishna, the horticulture scientist introduced the program and Dr B.V. Ramana in charge of KVK  welcomed the farmers. Dr Ramana shared that KVK is run by the central government to cater to the needs of the farmers by conducting various programs for the farmers on organic farming techniques in floriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry. He also said that the main aim of KVK is to empower farmers with sufficient knowledge about organic farming. Program host and Executive Director of HASSS Fr. Anthony Madanu in his speech welcomed all the social service centre directors of Karnataka and Telangana and introduced all the directors and farmers to the KVK staff and told them about HASSS which is an NGO working for different sections of society in various capacities towards the marginal sections of society.

The inaugural session was followed with exposure to various good models such as different micro irrigation systems, floriculture, beekeeping, multi-cropping systems, Companion cropping, innovative way of poultry rearing, livestock management, fodder cultivation, and various tools for seeding, weeding, harvesting and thrashing which has been established in KVK campus.

Mr Sri Krishna explained the cultivation of floriculture and its uses and how to earn more income with a low budget with proper planning. He also explained how to minimize the expenses on labour costs by placing carbon sheets (mulching) over the raised bed of the mud and explained the uses of the raised bed which prevents soil erosion, and the supply of nutrients can be easily supplied through drip irrigation which directly irrigates the root of the plants and thus water can be saved and better yield can be expected. He also explained a brief note on Apiculture production & its uses and practices.

The farmers were taken to another field to explain the multi-cropping system within a 1-acre farm. This farm is such that the fishing pond supports water for all the vegetable gardens and fruit garden through drip irrigation and rain sprinklers, the advantage of these rain sprinklers are they give sufficient water in a limited way. The farm is well protected to prevent monkeys, pigs, deer, peacocks etc. Aqua-related species and vegetable plants, fruit plants etc were grown in such a way that there were knit together and one supported the other. They were also exposed to the implementation tools and gained knowledge on harvesting methods, the Azola preparation tank. Mr Sudheer explained about the fodder crops & Different feed like Cactus, Elephant grass etc for buffaloes and for livestock.

Dr Haridas, Programme Lead of U3 said that the soil is being destroyed and the microorganisms in the soil are dying with the use of pesticides. It is the responsibility of the farmers to protect the land by switching to natural farming methods and natural pesticides to increase the health of the soil and also to enhance the health of the citizens of India. He said multi-cropping, mulching, micro irrigations and micro-organisms are very important in natural farming. The same was highlighted and explained by a lead farmer who has been into natural farming for the past 20 years.

Mr V K Singh, Director of the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) also addressed the participants to share the importance of conserving natural resources while performing farming and said better water management is very important in Farming.