A seminar on natural farming and balanced fertiliser usage, along with an interaction between farmers and scientists, was held at Akkarai Sengapalli Panchayat Office in Annur Panchayat Union under the Agriculture Department’s State Extension Reforms Support Scheme. The programme was chaired by Coimbatore District Collector Pavan Kumar G. Giriyappan, IAS.
Addressing the gathering, the Collector said that agriculture remains the primary occupation for a majority of people in the region and emphasised the importance of improving soil health through scientific assessment and sustainable farming practices. He urged farmers to submit soil samples to departmental officials for testing, which would help identify nutrient deficiencies and provide recommendations for suitable cultivation practices.
The Collector noted that Akkarai Sengapalli, being a model panchayat, should make full use of such initiatives to enhance agricultural productivity. Earlier, he planted saplings in the panchayat premises, distributed Soil Health Cards to farmers and inspected the functioning of a mobile soil testing laboratory. Scientists, agriculture officials and farmers participated in the programme.
