Sri Sathya Sai Collector urges farmers to shift towards natural farming

District Collector A. Shyam Prasad on Wednesday appealed to farmers in Sri Sathya Sai district to gradually shift to natural farming and adopt the Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing (PMDS) method, as it would help them address potential rainfall deficiencies and achieve crop sustainability.

Inspecting the natural farming fields under the PMDS method at Gudipalli village in Somandepalli mandal, the scheme’s district manager, Lakshma Nayak, apprised the Collector of the method. He highlighted the method’s ability to conserve soil moisture, reduce dependence on irrigation and improve crop establishment even under climatic stress, particularly during the delayed or failed monsoon conditions.

Referring to the projected impact of the El Niño conditions, the Collector urged the farmers not to leave their fields uncultivated, but to make optimum use of available soil moisture through timely sowing. He highlighted that natural farming, coupled with scientific cultivation practices, could potentially reduce production costs and bring sustainable yields.

During the inspection, Mr. Shyam Prasad climbed onto a tractor and participated in seed sowing, in addition to interacting with farmers in the field. The Collector said that the district administration would continue extending technical guidance and institutional support to promote climate-resilient crops.

Officials from Agriculture and allied departments, along with a large number of farmers, accompanied the Collector.