Gujarat plans four centres to train farmers in natural farming
Gandhinagar, Aug 11
The Gujarat government has approved the establishment of four Centres of Excellence for natural farming in Navsari, Morbi, Bhavnagar and Chhota Udepur, with the state government allocating Rs 20 crore for the initiative in 2026-27.
The centres, being established under the guidance of Governor Acharya Devvrat, will provide farmers with training, technical guidance and access to agricultural inputs, with each centre equipped to train up to 100 farmers at a time.
The Gujarat Prakrutik Krishi Vikas Board has been entrusted with implementing the scheme.
In the first phase, the centres will come up at Nani Bhamti village in Vansda taluka of Navsari district, Halvad in Morbi district, Valavad village in Sihor taluka of Bhavnagar district and Chudel village in Jetpur Pavi taluka of Chhota Udepur district.
The facilities are planned not merely as training centres but as model campuses for natural farming.
Farmers already doing natural farming, as well as those looking to adopt it, will be able to receive guidance on farming-related issues and access various facilities at the centres.
Training will include the preparation and use of bio-inputs such as Jeevamrut, Ghan Jeevamrut, Beejamrut and Neemastra. The centres will also produce these inputs and make them available to farmers at nominal prices.
Facilities will additionally be developed for producing and selling mulching materials, crop seeds, horticultural saplings, cuttings, grafts and other planting material.
Farmers will receive guidance on soil testing and testing the quality of agricultural produce. The centres will also assist them with new technology, primary agricultural inputs, value addition and post-harvest processing.
Practical demonstrations will form a key part of the training. These will cover the five-layer natural farming model, mixed cropping and intercropping, besides methods of preparing and properly using Beejamrut, Jeevamrut and natural pesticides.
Officials and experts will also visit farmers' fields to provide demonstrations and guidance, while crop-specific training will be provided on standard natural farming practices.
"The initiative is intended to provide farmers adopting natural farming with training, technology, guidance and essential agricultural materials at a single location. Training in value addition, processing, storage and packaging is also expected to support better returns from farm produce," officials said.
The four centres are planned to serve as hubs for training and experimentation in natural farming as the state seeks to expand its adoption across Gujarat.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good initiative, but I hope they actually have qualified trainers who know the science behind natural farming. Many such schemes become just paperwork and photo-ops. The five-layer model and Jeevamrut preparation require proper technical knowledge, not just traditional wisdom. Let's hope the implementation matches the intention.
Great to see Governor Devvrat's expertise being utilized! His work in natural farming is well known. However, 4 centres for the whole state is too less. Gujarat has thousands of villages. Hope they expand this quickly. Also, the centres should do field visits to every village, not just wait for farmers to come to them.
Very happy to see the government focusing on sustainable agriculture! The cost of chemical inputs has become unbearable for small farmers. Natural farming is the way forward - cheaper inputs, healthier food, and better soil for the next generation. Also love that they're including value addition and packaging training. More money in farmers' pockets! 💪
While this is a positive step, I wish they'd also provide a proper market linkage for organic produce. Training farmers to grow naturally is one thing, but if they can't get good prices for their produce, they'll go back to chemicals. The centres should also tie up with organic retailers and exporters. Just saying from practical experience.
It's encouraging to see such initiatives. I'm a city girl, but I've been learning about natural farming from online courses. The fact that they're providing bio-inputs like Jeevamrut and Neemastra at nominal prices is a huge relief for farmers. Also, soil testing guidance
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