Training Programme on “Vertical Farming for Addressing Nutritional Security of Farm Families” and Input Distribution to SC Farmwomen

ICAR-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture, Bhubaneswar organized a one day training programme on “Vertical Farming for Addressing Nutritional Security of Farm Families” at Chitra village of Nimapara Block of Puri District of Odisha on 26 December 2023. During this training programme, the importance of vertical farming in the present context was highlighted and different techniques of vertical farming were popularized among the women farmers. The farmwomen were sensitized and trained about sustainable vertical farming ventures like integrated cultivation of vegetables along with mushroom and poultry in the Integrated Vertical Nutri-Farming System (IVNFS), cultivation of vegetables, herbs and strawberries in vertical trellis, hydroponic fodder cultivation, mushroom and poultry production and microgreens cultivation etc. These women-friendly techniques can be easily adopted by landless women farmers for ensuring regular availability of different nutri-rich produce from their house premises without much drudgery. About 50 farmwomen were participated in the programme. Farmwomen expressed their satisfaction about the IVNFS. They stated that they were getting regular availability of vegetables, mushroom and eggs from the IVNFS and were avoiding market-sourced vegetables, which helps them in saving of money and at the same time they were getting some income from selling of surplus produces obtained from the IVNFS. At the end of the programme, vegetable seed kits consisting of five seasonal vegetables (French bean, Radish, Palak, Coriander and Amaranthus) were distributed to each 35 selected SC farmwomen beneficiaries under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) programme. As a part of Swachhata Pakhwada a drawing completion among 30 school children was also organized in which the participants express their creative talents while fostering an appreciation for the clean and green India. The programme was coordinated by Dr. Tania Seth, Scientist and assisted by Mr. Sanjay Kumar Behera, Senior Technical Assistant of the institute.