Mexican delegation lauds role of women in natural farming

Tirupati: A delegation from Mexico, currently visiting Tirupati district, praised the significant role played by women’s groups in implementing the natural farming programme run by the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiative.

The delegation, led by Mexico Government’s Area Director Diaz Maria Natividad, shared their observations on the first day of their field visit during a meeting with APCNF officials at a hotel in Tirupati on Monday.

Diaz Maria lauded the active participation of women in agriculture, particularly in advancing natural farming practices. She highlighted how women’s collective strength is playing a vital role in the success of the APCNF programme. The delegation was especially impressed by the state government’s support for small and marginal farmers, which they found to be a unique and commendable approach compared to practices in Mexico.

“The government’s efforts to empower communities through social programmes and innovative initiatives, including training, are a positive step toward sustainable development”, remarked Maria Natividad.

Later, the Mexican delegation interacted with representatives of the village federation in Udayamanikyam village in Yerravaripalem mandal. Women leaders from the village explained their role in implementing natural farming practices and discussed the economic and non-economic benefits of adopting these methods. The women shared that natural farming not only reduces agricultural costs but also brings numerous health benefits.

The delegation also visited the farm of Sudhakar, a natural farmer from the same village, where they examined pre-monsoon dry sowing (PMDS) and drought proofing models. They later visited the mango orchard of V Subramanyam, who practices chemical farming and compared the results of both approaches.

In the evening, the team traveled to Chittevaripalem village in Chinnagottigallu Mandal, where they visited the farm of G. Subramanyam to observe natural farming techniques.

Senior officials from the APCNF, including KSC Chandrasekhar, K Suresh Babu, Smita, Dr Rajagopal, senior consultant Surendra Reddy, regional technical officer Ravichandra Prasad, APCNF Tirupati district project manager Shanmugam and additional manager Pattabhi Reddy participated in the visit.