AnyTime News 
‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ Empowers Women Farmers; Bioagents and Vermicompost Beds Distributed
By Pooja Shrivastava, Any Time News Network
Under the aegis of the National Mission “Khet Bachao Abhiyan” launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, a comprehensive ‘Kisan Gosthi-cum-Field Day’ was organized today at Sarsanda village in Kakori, Lucknow. Executed by the ICAR-Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (ICAR-CISH), the program aimed to drive sustainable agricultural practices, improve soil health, and significantly minimize dependence on hazardous chemical inputs. The seminar witnessed an enthusiastic turnout of 76 local farmers, including a commendable presence of 32 women farmers, alongside the Gram Pradhan and state officials.
Emphasizing Bioagents like ‘Grow Sure’ and Organic Recycling
Addressing the gathering, Dr. T. Damodaran, Director of ICAR-CISH, strongly advocated for a shift toward eco-friendly farming to preserve the long-term fertility of the land.
50% Reduction in Chemicals: He urged farmers to slash the usage of synthetic fertilizers in wheat and other major crops by nearly 50%.
Free Resource Distribution: To support this transition, high-quality bioagents like ‘Grow Sure’ and ‘Trichoderma’ bottles along with structured vermicompost beds were distributed to the participants for efficient seed and vegetable crop disease management.
Cluster Development: Dr. Damodaran inspected the live vermicompost demonstration sites in local mango orchards, highlighting CISH’s ongoing efforts to develop robust fruit and vegetable grower clusters and enhance market linkages.
Bridging Policy with Practice: GAPs and Government Schemes
Dr. Akath Singh, Head of the Division of Post-Harvest Management, detailed the strategic interventions active in the village, emphasizing Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), green manuring, and community processing. Adding administrative weight to the event, Shri Sikandar Yadav, Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) of Mal block, educated the attendees on critical government initiatives, including the ‘Farmers Registration Portal’, ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi KYC’, ‘Solar Pump Scheme’, and quality seeds availability. Earlier, Dr. Sushil Kumar Shukla welcomed the delegates, stressing soil testing and crop diversification. The successful execution of the event was coordinated by Satyendra Kushwaha along with the project staff.
