by BISMumbai Correspondent

The ongoing pandemic has impacted all across social strata. The most devastated are farmers, pushed further beyond the peripheries.

Don Bosco Alirajpur social ministry/development delegate Father Pratap Damor, initiated the 'nimboli arka' (Neem extract) and vermicomposting organic farming methods. Assisted by the staff - Nawalsingh Jamor, Asharani Minj and Jeevan Bada - he demonstrated the benefits of 'nimboli arka' and vermicomposting techniques, as organic farming alternatives.

The farmers from the villages around Alirajpur city come in small groups (following Covid-19 protocols) to participate in the short training programmes. The first such training was on World Envirinment Day-05 June 2021, for 07 participants. These trainee-farmers were provided practical know-how to make 'nimboli arka' and vermicomposting. Nimboli Arka is an organic pesticide-substitute, whereas vermicompost is organic fertilizer.

This initiative at Don Boaco Alirajpir is intended to help local farmers in input product cost-cutting, and veer them towards organic farming methods. Along with these learnt techniqies, an attitudinal change on the part of the farmers, is expected to preserve soil-fertility.