Sri Vijaya Puram, July 23: To promote scientific and sustainable farming, the Union Territory Agriculture Technology Management Agency (UTATMA), in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, is conducting Training, Demonstration, and Farm School activities across various blocks of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. These programmes aim to build farmers’ knowledge and skills through practical learning, introduce them to new technologies, better crop practices, and Government schemes, and encourage the use of best practices. The goal is to help farmers improve productivity, reduce farming costs, and increase their income.
On 22nd and 23rd July, 2025, a two-day training programme on ‘Fodder Cultivation’ was conducted at the Veterinary Dispensary, Kadamtala, in Rangat Block, as part of the ongoing efforts by UTATMA in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services. The programme was inaugurated by Smti. Leela Barh, Pradhan, and Shri T. V. Mohan Rao, PRI Member, Kadamtala, and witnessed active participation from local farmers and officials.
In addition, a training programme on ‘Multi-tier Cropping, Intercropping, and Multispecies Cropping’ was organized by the Department of Agriculture in the field of Shri Kunjalal Hawlader at Kadamtala village, in the presence of Shri Bikash Paramanik, PRI Member, who encouraged farmers to adopt modern agricultural practices.
The training programme was attended by officials from the Departments of Fisheries, Agriculture, and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services (AH&VS), along with ATMA functionaries and Farmers’ Friends. Their active participation ensured that farmers received expert guidance, technical support, and updated information on best practices, Government schemes, and sustainable agricultural techniques relevant to the Kharif season.
Apart from the training programme, demonstrations were successfully organized across two blocks of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands—Prothrapur and Rangat—in collaboration with the Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries. At Prothrapur, a demonstration on ‘Vermicomposting in Vermibed’ was conducted in the field of Shri Harbanz Lall at Sippighat, which was attended by departmental and ATMA staff. At Rangat, two demonstrations were conducted by the Department of Fisheries on ‘Nursery Pond Management and Fish Seed Preparation’ and ‘Safety Measures for Fishers at Sea’ in the fields of Shri Prakash Halder and Shri Manindra Dakua at Dasarathpur. The programme was held in the presence of Smti. Jayanthi Mistry, Ward Member, Dasarathpur, and provided farmers with practical knowledge on fish farming techniques.
Additionally, the 1st and 2nd class of the Farm School on ‘Broiler Production’ were organized in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services at the Veterinary Hospital, Rangat, in the presence of Dr. Aleena Rajan, SVO, Rangat. The sessions provided farmers with practical insights into poultry management.
In total, 40 farmers actively participated in the training programme, and 25 farmers took part in the Farm School sessions in Rangat Block.