Vijayawada: A 32-member delegation from the Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission (TNSRLM) visited Andhra Pradesh on a three-day exposure visit to study the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) initiatives implemented by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS).
The visit focused on understanding the large-scale implementation of Nutri Gardens and Kitchen Gardens and their role in ensuring nutritional security and improving the economic well-being of rural households. The team aimed to learn how these models can support the Lakhpati Didi initiative of the Central Government, which aspires to enhance household incomes by more than one lakh annually.
During their field visit in Guntur district, the team observed different models of kitchen gardens such as the Suryamandal model demonstrated by Nakka Sireesha in Annavaram village, the 365 days vegetable model by U Naga Jyothi in Paathabommuvanipalem village, and the Any Time Money (ATM) model by Bhulakshmi in Tummuluru village of Kollipara Mandal. The members interacted with Health and Nutrition Internal Community Resource Persons (ICRPs), farmers, Health and Nutrition Fellows, and Self-Help Group women to understand crop selection, garden dimensions, multi-layer designs, land preparation, the use of natural farming bio-stimulants, and pest and disease management.
Significantly, APCNF’s National Resource Organisation (NRO) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TNSRLM to replicate the APCNF model in three districts of Tamil Nadu includes Chengalpattu, Thiruvallur, and Kanchipuram.
The visit, facilitated by thematic leads Krishna Rao and Humayun, along with district-level management professional Satya Narayana and APCNF staff, provided valuable insights for TNSRLM to replicate and scale Nutri Garden models in Tamil Nadu as part of their farm livelihoods initiative.
