by Father Richard Burkhao for BISMumbai

Don Bosco Waluj-Aurangabad, organized an Organic Farming Government Schemes Awareness Training for farmers at Bhoyegaon and Puri villages of Gangapur Taluka on 25 and 26 August 2020. Other farmers from the neighboring villages also took advantage of this awareness session.

Incharge, Father Richard Burkhao welcomed and oriented the participants to the purpose of the training, while thanking the resource personnel for making themselves available for this purpose. Social work staff Babasaheb Kharat, introduced the resource personnel with a brief felicitation.

Dilip Mote from the Department of Agriculture was the key resource animator, who emphasized the need to change one’s attitude towards organic farming. He traced the origins of India’s Green Revolution and its significance in leading India to self-sufficiency in foodgrain production, Mote encouraged the participants to enroll for the Certificate Programme in Organic Farming through the Regional Council and stated the benefits accruing from this certification. He dwelt briefly on the topic of 'contract farming' and listed its benefits, remarking how the resulting financial benefits would be profitable.

Santosh Gudde addressed the farmers spelling out the details and benefits of organic farming. He made the participants aware of the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers which they were accustomed to use, and made them aware of those chemical nutrients which would be beneficial for better crop yield. A live-demo of organic manure preparation was animated by Kharat, who also listed its benefits. The farmers showed keen interest in the training and were assured that there would be similar training programmes in the future organized by Don Bosco Waluj.

The 'project' is financed by Don Bosco Mondo Bonn-Germany, through the Don Bosco Development Society [DBDS] - the MumbaiSalesians' Province Development and Planning Office [PDO].