NAF’s agricultural development division functions with the goal to enable our farming communities to adopt the latest technological practices in agriculture and up skill themselves to adapt to the fast changing environment.
NAF focuses on up skilling through enabling farmers to practice Climate Smart Lean Farming technologies and simultaneously empowering them with necessary business skills, to overcome the challenges posed by global forces and to become profitable. With the latest advancements in farming technologies such as Artificial Intelligence enabled Smart Farms, Integrated Farming Methodologies, Poly-house, Farm Drones, etc., the potential of agriculture becoming the most profitable business in the country is not an exaggerated vision.
NAF has been promoting sustainable agriculture through Lean Farming which is a combination of organic, bio and inorganic approach with climate change adaptation and mitigation measures which is economically viable, environmentally safe and ecologically sustainable. These initiatives are undertaken with support from various stakeholders including the Government and Corporate sector agencies. In addition, every effort of our implementation team strives to involve the targeted beneficiaries from the project-planning phase to the project exit phase creating and nurturing a sustainably lasting model.
Areas of Focus
Promoting Sustainable Agricultural Practices through LEAN Farming Technologies.
Promoting and nurturing Agri-businesses run by farmers (FPOs).
Providing advisory and consultancy services to other stakeholders.
Training, Technology, Extension & Analytical services for Agricultural productivity improvement.
Empowering the farmers with the knowledge, tools and technologies to improve their livelihoods and tap the maximum potential from the agricultural system.
Demonstrating and implementing climate smart agriculture to reduce the climate change related vulnerabilities of the farmers by improving their adaptive capacity.
These initiatives are undertaken with support from various stakeholders including the Government and support from Corporate Partners through their Corporate Social responsibility Initiatives.
The various agriculture components are implemented in the following projects:
Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture through Lean Farming
NAF is introducing Lean Farming Technologies and crop specific improved methods of cultivation among farmers across the states to ensure that farming is a profitable venture for the farmers. NAF ensures that there is judicious use of natural resources, while maintaining the ecological balance to ensure that farmers earn a healthy income on one hand while maintaining the balance in soil and water conservation on the other. NAF also trains the farmers on preparation of vermicompost, panchakavyam, azolla which are organic manures, thereby reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and reducing the input costs to the farmers. Green manuring and proper composting methods are introduced to improve soil health. Tree planting is included in almost all the projects to increase green cover as a climate resilient initiative. Farm machineries have been introduced to reduce cost of cultivation and tide over labor scarcity through farmer support groups formed in the villages. Trainings on water management to increase water use efficiency by introducing micro irrigation system, SRI method of cultivation, minimizing water wastage during irrigation are also imparted. These agri components are included in all the watershed projects and being executed by agriculture development division. For the current year, the following sustainable agriculture initiatives are being undertaken. 762 soils were collected for comprehensive soil health analysis and health cards with customized recommendations were provided to the farmers.
Frontline Demonstration
Frontline demonstrations are a simple yet effective strategy to reach out to the farmers through the methodology of learning by doing and there by influencing their peers for adoption of better and improved agri technologies. 567 FLDs were initiated with progressive farmers through a step-by-step guidance and handholding process, building their knowledge and capacities trough participatory learning methodologies. All the interventions such as soil sampling, soil testing, land preparation, land levelling, green manuring, ploughing, application of soil amendments, formation of ridges and furrows, line transplanting (SRI) and DSR if paddy, seed treatment methods, proper spacing, application of soil test based fertiliser and micro nutrients, installation of traps, solar light traps, pheromone traps, spraying/application of organic formulation, bird perches, need based spraying of green pesticides if pest population exceeds ETL and regular visit to farmers were done during conducting demonstration. A total of 279 acres of land had come under crop demonstration during the year across various regions, Farmers adopted these practices in cultivation of maize, cotton, chilli, sorghum, paddy, vegetables, millets etc. The above efforts have showcased an average 36% reduction in cost of production and 27% increase in yield in completed demonstrations.
Tree Plantation
NAF has been contributing to restoring ecosystems across its various project locations through its dedicated plantation activities. Environmental conservation being the heart of this initiative, we have involved farmers, students, communities in understanding the importance of restoring, conserving and promoting ecologically sound practices which will benefit the communities at large.
Through its various conservation efforts, biodiversity is also restored and many defunct waterbodies are now drawing scores of birds and animals to its reserves.
Tree plantation has also helped us elevate soil erosion issues and has led to ample rejuvenation of the ground water tables in our project locations.
1,06,768 agro horticulture and agro forestry plants were distributed to individual farmers and planted on community land.
Technical Trainings and Exposure Visits
Skill development in general sense has been focusing predominantly on non-farm sector, whereas, agriculture sector which employs about 60% of the Country’s population, needs focused approach to enhance the skill sets of the practicing and new age farmers to enable them cope up with the changing trends in agriculture and agribusiness sector. There has been general shift in focus from mere “production” to “post-harvest” including value addition, processing, supply chain and marketing. An increased application of digital technologies also calls for urgent need to educate the farmers on the recent trends such as Artificial Intelligence, IoT, online marketing, digital payments etc for better decision making and realization of profits. Agriculture being a core area of focus for NAF and a common thread linking almost all the sustainable development goals, the need of the hour calls for, investing in farm skill development both on-farm and off-farm technologies, to cope up with the changing trends of agriculture and agribusiness in India. We have tried to mobilize scientific know how, coupled with technological inputs in keeping with complex social structures, ground realities and available resources to address these new and upcoming challenges in this digital era.
Promoting farm skills is not only about boosting production; it is also about increasing incomes and strengthening markets, enabling farmers to graduate from sustenance agriculture to commercial agriculture using modern techniques, while leveraging traditional knowledge to become sustainable in the long run.
271 technical trainings were conducted in which 6560 beneficiaries were given trainings under various projects. 16 exposure visits were organized benefitting 540 farmers.
Preseason camps and Field Days
12 pre-season camps were conducted to discuss with farmers various action points to be undertaken during the cultivation period from seed to seed.
7 field days were conducted as a part of practical training for the purpose of disseminating the lean farming technology.
Veterinary camps
26 veterinary camps were conducted through which 5240 cattle were benefitted even in remote villages, where services are very poor. Timely care of farm animals at the doorstep has ensured that the farmers do not face loss from disease or treatment and healthy animals and livestock, provide the farmers with added income to supplement their livelihoods.
Low cost Pandal structure
70 low cost pandals for vegetable cultivation were established. Through this system, farmers were able to fetch a steady income round the year and also engage in crop diversity.