BHADERWAH: Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Doda on Monday organised a one-day capacity-building programme under Project No. 16, “Alternate Agriculture Systems for Sustainability,” of the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), focusing on “Organic and Natural Farming Practices for Soil Health Management.”
The programme aimed to sensitise departmental personnel to alternative agricultural systems, organic and natural farming practices and sustainable approaches to soil health management and farm productivity. As many as 30 officials from the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments attended the programme.
At the outset, the Head of KVK welcomed the participants and acknowledged the efforts of the organisers and resource persons in facilitating the programme. Dr. Arvinder, Subject Matter Specialist (Agricultural Extension) and Nodal Officer for the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF), introduced the resource persons from KVK Kishtwar and briefed the participants on the existing organic and natural farming clusters in District Doda.
Professor and Principal Investigator of the project, Dr. Balbir Dhotra, highlighted the significance of sustainable agricultural practices in improving soil health, enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring long-term environmental sustainability. He encouraged the participants to adopt innovative and eco-friendly farming systems, emphasising the importance of organic inputs, resource conservation and sustainable agricultural practices.
Scientist from KVK Kishtwar Dr. Amitesh Sharma deliberated on the future prospects of natural farming and its integration with integrated farming systems. He highlighted the potential of combining sustainable farming approaches to enhance resource-use efficiency, diversify farm-based livelihoods and improve overall farm productivity.
Chief Scientist from KVK Kishtwar Dr. Berjesh Ajrawat underscored the importance of natural farming in promoting sustainable agricultural systems and highlighted its relevance under HADP Project No. 16.
The event concluded with the distribution of certificates, followed by an interactive session between the resource persons and participants, providing an opportunity to exchange views and discuss the practical application of sustainable farming practices.
The programme was organised under the leadership of Prof. B. N. Tripathi, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu and the guidance of Dr. S. K. Gupta, Director Research and Dr. Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu.

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