Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy formally inaugurated the Indo German Global Academy for Agroecology, Research and Learning (IGGAARL) in Pulivendula constituency of Kadapa district on Thursday.
The academy is a fallout of the joint effort between the Federal Government of Germany and the Government of India to strengthen the ongoing initiatives in the State and develop the science behind natural farming.
The IGGAARL will encourage research through competitive grants, involving globally and nationally acclaimed research institutes and universities, besides working closely with the Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), which drives the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF).
Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the State was taking a slow, yet formidable step towards natural farming, as the centre would take up training programmes for farmers at the grassroots level.
With knowledge transfer, the institute aimed at transforming 10,700 farmers into ‘farmer scientists’
The idea was to bring down the cost of production and, at the same time, focus on improving yield as well as quality of the produce.
The Chief Minister also said that the Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBK) would make necessary products and tools available for the farmers at the village level.
Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Development Cooperation, called “production of enough food” as a top priority, along with addressing land degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and pollution.
“Together, we are pursuing the 2030 agenda and implementation of Paris Climate Agreement,” he added.
Christoph Kessler, Director of KfW, The German Development Bank’s India Office, said the German embassy had appraised the national farming programme before recommending the same to the German government.
Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, district in-charge Minister A. Suresh, MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy and Collector V. Vijayarama Raju took part.
