‘Organic Kuppam’ initiative tomorrow

Tirupati: The ‘Organic Kuppam’ programme initiated by the Andhra Pra-desh Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF), which has successfully brought 10.37 lakh farmers under its fold, is set to be launched by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in his con-stituency on January 6. This programme aligns with the Chief Minister's vision of showcasing how natural farming can compre-hensively address farmers’ livelihoods, public health and envi-ronmental sustainability.

The APCNF programme, implemented by the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) under the Department of Agriculture, aims to ex-tend natural farming practices to every farmer and every plot of land across the Kuppam constituency. Additionally, the initiative focuses on rejuvenating fallow lands to make them agriculturally productive.

Kuppam aspires to become a model constituency in India by fully adopting natural farming practices across all its gram pancha-yats. A vision document has been prepared to guide this trans-formation, aiming for Kuppam to inspire other regions with its successful implementation of sustainable agriculture.

The programme emphasises engaging women’s self-help groups to strengthen their capacity in natural farming practices while en-suring traceability and certification of agricultural produce. By 2028-29, the target is to transition 70 percent of farmers, cover 50 percent of cultivable land, and reclaim 20 percent of fallow land for productive agriculture. The expansion plan aims to cover all 95 panchayats in the con-stituency by 2025-26, with village organisations increasing from 100 (50 percent) to 200 (100 percent) in the same period. RySS also plans to promote high-value farm models, crop diversifica-tion and 365-day crop coverage, creating 37,000 rural jobs with monthly incomes ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 per household by 2035.

A significant focus of the initiatives is on improving soil health across 53 percent of cultivable land, conserving 50 percent of water resources and ensuring that 66 percent of farmers gain ac-cess to safe and diverse food. These measures aim to enhance the overall health and well-being of the farming community and the general public.

The programme also focuses on improving public health through better food diversity and nutrition. This will be achieved by pro-moting awareness of balanced diets, integrating natural farm produce into Anganwadi centres, schools, and hostels and estab-lishing community-level nutri-gardens and enterprises.

In addition to these efforts, the strategy emphasises building cli-mate resilience by transforming gram panchayats into environ-mentally sustainable villages.

Local leaders like sarpanches and ward members will play a pivotal role in achieving this vision.

India’s leading organic players, including Sresta (24 Mantra Or-ganics), BigBasket and Phalada Agro, among others, have ex-pressed their interest in partnering with RySS. Several Memo-randums of Understanding (MoUs) will be signed during the launch event to strengthen collaborations in the presence of CM Naidu.