Visakhapatnam: 'Eruvaka' to empower farming communities through many platforms

Visakhapatnam : From developing a database of farming condition along with mandal-wise cropping to facilitating technology assessment, promoting a minikit culture to carrying out diagnostic surveys at periodical intervals and providing need-based audio-visual aids, farmers in Andhra Pradesh to get empowered through District Agricultural Advisory and Transfer of Technology Centres (DAATTC), also known as 'Eruvaka,' through multiple platforms.

Following district reign exercise, some of the DAATTCs of Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU) were shifted to other places. In connection with this, DAATTC, a novel transfer of technology centre to strengthen the research-extension, farmer linkages at district level, from Amadalavalasa in Srikakulam has been relocated to Paderu in ASR district.

The list of other relocated centres include Vuyyuru to Rajamahendravaram, Anakapalli to Amalapuram, Nellore to Bapatla, Ongole to Palnadu, Anantapur to Sri Sathya Sai district and Kurnool to Nandyal. "After creation of the new districts in Andhra Pradesh, some of the districts were deprived of either Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) or DAATTC. However, by decentralising the centres, each district gets either a DAATTC or a KVK or more. This will aid in reaching out to the unreached section of farmers, providing them technology support and decentralising extension services by reorganising education units," says A Subbirami Reddy, director of extension, ANGRAU.

Besides monitoring crop production, protection and extension, each DAATT centre, manned by a team of scientists, will keep a close tab on district agricultural activities. "The main agenda is to encourage farming communities to adopt best practices, bring out viable solutions related to pest and disease control, enhance crop production and facilitate market linkages," explains A Vishnuvardhan Reddy, Vice Chancellor of ANGRAU.

The relocation is aimed at extending services to major tribal districts of Andhra Pradesh and working towards deriving a quantum leap in food production. "Earlier, some of the tribal pockets were deprived of such centres. But not now apparently, the centre aids in the formation of farmers producers' organisations with the support of the Department of Agriculture and a host of NGOs," elaborates M Suresh Kumar, Associate Director of Research, Regional Agricultural Research Station. Apart from getting introduced to new technologies to improve yields, farmers will get opportunities to participate in 'kisan melas', 'rythu chaitanya yatras' and conferences through the DAATTC.

Working in tandem with the Department of Agriculture and allied departments, the centre aims to empower farming communities through dissemination of production-enhancing and cost-reducing agriculture technologies.

Also, farmers will get to share documented success stories to stay inspired and adopt best practices.