APCNF advances with 365 days green cover

Guntur: Executive vice-chairman of APCNF T Vijay Kumar inaugurated the State-level workshop to state senior officials and district-level officials on the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) here on Monday

Speaking on the occasion, he said that universalisation of 365 Days Green Cover (365 DGC) is the major upgrade under Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF). With climate change making weather unpredictable, farmers must plan cropping cycles to utilise early monsoon showers and protect crops from heavy rains. Practices like seed palletisation are effective solutions, he said.

The four-day programme, organised by the APCNF under the aegis of Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), Government of Andhra Pradesh will run from Monday. It began with a two-day state-level workshop, followed by Training of Trainers (ToT) for District Training Teams and induction training for Internal Community Resource Persons (ICRPs).

During the inaugural, Vijay Kumar introduced A Neeraja, Director of RySS, who addressed the gathering on APCNF models and their role in scaling Natural Farming across the state.

Trainee ICRPs (T-ICRPs), selected from experienced natural farming farmers, will undergo training programmes before entering the field. Vijay Kumar also raised concerns about the pest infestation caused by Coffee Berry Borer (CBB), which has damaged coffee crops in Araku Valley, marking the first confirmed outbreak of this pest in AP. District teams further shared their progress in adopting 365 Days Green Cover, with particular emphasis on seed planning and climate-resilient models.

Advisors DV Raidu and G Muralidhar, CEO, RySS Raman Rao along with State Project Management Unit staff, District Project Managers and Additional District Project Managers were present.