‘Krishi Sakhis’ become the messengers of natural farming in Himachal

True to their name, they are turning out to be the real friends of farming in Himachal Pradesh.

Select rural women, picked up as ‘Krishi Sakhis’ under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), who were associated for training in natural farming technique by Himachal Pradesh Prakritik Khushhal Kisan (PK3Y) Yojana across the state recently, have become the messengers of this non-chemical, low-cost and climate-resilient farming now.

The hands-on training in natural farming technique by the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) staff working under the supervision of the State Implementing Unit (SPIU), PK3Y is empowering them with knowledge in the fields and is preparing them to change their mindsets, with sustainable agriculture, income, environment and nutrition in focus.

“Natural farming is a very good concept. It will help us in reducing costs and improving nutrition and every farmer wants that. Anyone is apprehensive to adopt a new thing when it is about livelihood. 

We have to break that psyche and create awareness among farmers to take to non-chemical farming for best results in all times to come,” said Chiter Rekha, 44, Pradhan of Tundal Panchayat in Kandaghat block in Solan district for one year.

A graduate, Chiter Rekha is a ‘Krishi Sakhi’ for the past one year and is committed to spread the natural farming technique among the Self Help Groups and Village Level Organisations of women. She is more confident about the concept because she shifted to the technique on one bigha (out of two) after training two years and the results are good.

“Many women have started doing it at least in kitchen gardens after they saw me. Now that they have linked natural farming with ‘Krishi Sakhis’ for extension, this will help us reach out to more women in the village in continuity. More so, when we approach women in groups, they plan collectively and share the inputs also, which is always a better option,” she said. 

So far, 23 trainings have been conducted for 502 ‘Krishi Sakhis’ in natural farming technique in 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh. Their exposure visits to the farms are also being conducted.

“Women are the main workable force in the agriculture fields across the country. So it is always effective if the women are trained and the message about farming is spread through the women only,” said Dr Suneel Chandel, Consultant (Trainings) at the State Project Implementing Unit (SPIU), PK3Y.

Designated by Rural development department under NRLM, the  ‘Krishi Sakhis’ are termed as the Community Resource Persons (CRPs) for agriculture related activities, concept seeding at village organization level, training and promotion of ecological practices, promotion of agri-nutri garden and for running seed banks. Linked with them is the ‘Krishi Udyog Sakhi Concept, where women can form the producer collectives with market linkages. 

Kanta Devi, 58, from Kwara village in Mashobra block in Shimla pumps in as much energy as ‘Krishi Sakhi’. She had also been doing natural farming in polyhouses and open fields with family members for the past some years.

“I was designated as ‘Krishi Sakhi’ a few months ago and I got formal training in natural farming Mashobra along with other women last month. Since then I have trained seven SHGs of women and the members of Village Organisation in my area and I will conduct more trainings in times to come,” she revealed.

“It is a good thing that while we as ‘Krishi Sakhis’ will do this wonderful work of  training other women, we will also get some wages for giving training. We get more exposure too,” she said.

Better nutrition is another important aspect of natural farming, especially as 53 per cent women in the age group of 15-49 years of age are anaemic, according to National Family Health Survey-NFHS-5- (2019-20).

“We are trying to educate the women farmers through ‘Krishi Sakhis’ that natural farming produce is chemical-free and has better nutrient status than the crops produced with the chemical farming,” said Dr Chandel.

Implemented in Himachal Pradesh in 2018, the PK3Y is focusing to empower women farmers, who work hard in the agriculture fields silently and often have no say in the decision, with information and capacity building.

After training, the women farmers are attaining confidence to take the concept to their fields with discussion, or by testing on small patches or even kitchen gardens to convince the family members.

Many groups of women farmers have also been made across the districts under PK3Y, who have set an example of sorts for others to follow, whether it’s about collective decision, work or sharing in natural farming.  This is not only helping the women progress in natural farming, but is facilitating their social inclusion also.

In all, 1.53 lakh farmer families in Himachal Pradesh have adopted natural farming practice partially and fully, so far on their agriculture and horticulture land on 9192 hectares in the state.