The Governing Board meeting of the ATMA (Agricultural Technology Management Agency) Agricultural Extension Reforms Programme for Bhopal district was held under the guidance of District Collector Mr. Kaushalendra Singh and chaired by District Panchayat CEO Ms. Ila Tiwari. The meeting focused on strengthening agricultural extension activities in the district and accelerating the adoption of natural farming practices. Several important decisions were taken to make agriculture more sustainable, inclusive, and market-oriented.
Deputy Director of Agriculture and Member Secretary of the ATMA Governing Board, Ms. Suman Prasad, stated that the primary objective of the meeting was to enhance participation of both government departments and non-governmental organizations in agricultural extension reform programmes. Emphasis was laid on agriculture and allied sectors such as horticulture and animal husbandry, promotion of natural farming, collective farming efforts, and capacity building of farmers. The meeting also stressed organizing women farmer groups to increase their participation in agriculture and strengthening coordination among farmers, agricultural scientists, and the extension system.
District Panchayat CEO Ms. Ila Tiwari directed that farmers and women associated with natural farming, organic farming, and the “Ek Bagiya Maa Ke Naam” scheme in Bhopal district should be provided with practical and need-based training. Scientists from Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Bhopal, will offer field-level training and technical guidance to ensure effective implementation.
In addition, farmer seminars will be organized at the grassroots level to connect organic and natural farming farmers, farmer groups, and women farmers with the city-based Raag Bhopali Haat market. This initiative aims to improve market access and boost the sale of their produce. Instructions were also issued to ensure wide publicity and greater farmer participation in these initiatives.
The meeting also decided to link farmers practicing organic and natural farming with gaushalas (cow shelters). This will ensure easy availability of cow dung-based organic inputs, helping farmers reduce input costs and promote sustainable farming practices.
To promote natural farming, clusters have been formed by integrating 1 to 3 Gram Panchayats over an area of 50 hectares each in Bhopal district. At present, 10 natural farming clusters are operational, covering around 1,250 farmers who are actively practicing natural farming.
National-Level Training and Research Support: Farmers are being linked with training and certification under the National Natural Farming Mission implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. For this purpose, institutions such as MANAGE (Hyderabad), the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming (Ghaziabad), bio-research centers, agricultural colleges, and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have been identified as key training and research partners.
