Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 8: Twenty farmers and agriculture officials from vegetable-growing areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been sent to West Bengal for a seven-day training programme aimed at strengthening knowledge of scientific vegetable cultivation and production technologies.
The Department of Agriculture, Andaman & Nicobar Administration, through the High Value Agriculture Development Agency (HVADA), has deputed 16 farmers and four departmental officials from North & Middle Andaman and South Andaman to attend the programme at ICAR–KVK, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal. The training will run from September 8 to 14.
The programme focuses on the practical application of improved methods in vegetable production. Participants will receive exposure to a range of cultivation practices covering different stages of production, from raising nurseries and selecting quality seeds and planting material to crop establishment and subsequent crop management.
The training includes sessions on nutrient and water management, with participants also being exposed to integrated approaches for managing pests and diseases. Protected cultivation will form another part of the programme, along with practices related to harvesting and post-harvest handling.
The Agriculture Department has organised the training under the Human Resource Development (HRD) component of the National Horticulture Mission (NHM), implemented under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).
The initiative is intended to build the technical capabilities of both farmers and field-level departmental officials through direct exposure to modern vegetable production technologies. The programme also seeks to encourage cultivation practices that are suited to climatic conditions in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The department expects the training to contribute to the adoption of improved vegetable cultivation methods, with a focus on agricultural productivity, produce quality and sustainable production across the Islands.
The deputation brings together farmers from key vegetable-growing areas and departmental personnel for specialised training outside the Islands, with the programme covering production, crop management and post-harvest practices.
