Tribal sugarcane farmers were urged to adopt chemical-free farming practices integrating their indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) with modern natural farming practices, at a training organized by ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore on 09 July 2025.

ICAR – Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI), Coimbatore organized a Training Programme on ‘Sugarcane farming for prosperity’  for the tribal farmers of Karumanthurai in Salem district as part of the ‘Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribe Component (DAPSTC)’ project,  in the Institute premises at Coimbatore. A Farmer-Scientist interaction for the ‘Farm School on All India Radio’ (FSA) participants from all over the state, was also arranged on the same day.

            Speaking on the occasion, Shri M. G. Ganesan, Project Director, Project Nilgiri Tahr, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, listed out the benefits of practising chemical-free farming quoting the success of the Kaani tribals in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Recalling the outreach efforts of ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Anamalai Tiger Reserve among the indigenous tribes, he appreciated the fact that the Institute had finalized the action plan and interventions, in consultation with the forest department with an eye on not disturbing the ecological and environmental balance of the region. This pattern of intervention among the indigenous communities by ICAR- SBI could serve as a viable model for replication by other agencies, he added.

            In his Presidential address, Dr. P. Govindaraj, Director of ICAR- Sugarcane Breeding Institute highlighted the remarkable success of the Farm School on ‘Sugarcane Farming for Prosperity’ conducted by the Institute in collaboration with All India Radio, Coimbatore. The fact that several radio listeners among the sugarcane farmers from faraway places of Tamil Nadu are participating in the Farmer-Scientist Interaction itself bears testimony that radio still has significant relevance in this Android era, he said. He hoped that such training programmes would help in bringing about a positive turnaround in the state’s sugarcane agriculture. Complimenting the DAPSTC team for travelling through dense forests to reach inaccessible tribal settlements for implementing the project, Dr Govindaraj thanked the Forest Department of Tamil Nadu and Tamil Nadu State Rural Livelihood Mission for their exceptional support in implementing the project.

            Dr. D. Puthira Prathap, Principal Scientist and Nodal Officer of DAPSTC Project and Farm School on AIR, in his Introductory remarks mentioned that so far, over 1250 tribal households belonging to six indigenous tribes viz., Malasar, Malamalasar, Oorali, Malayali, Kurumbar and Irular spread across four districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala had been benefitted by the DAPSTC project implemented by the Institute. The project was successfully implemented across three regions in Tamil Nadu viz., Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) & Eastern Ghats of Salem district and in Attappady hills of Kerala.

Mentioning that the project went beyond physical interventions by emphasizing knowledge dissemination and self-reliance, he said that tribals who intend to go for chemical-free farming can avail Central and State government schemes meant for the purpose. Mentioning that the Institute’s experience has shown that traditional radio continues to thrive as a vital medium, in view of its credibility among the rural audience, he appreciated the enthusiasm of the ‘Farm School on All India Radio’ participants who had actively participated in the ‘farmer-scientist interaction’.

Besides the training sessions and farmer-scientist interaction, the farmers were taken to sugarcane fields of popular sugarcane varieties. They also witnessed machinery and visited the Sugarcane-based integrated farming system demonstration unit. Power tillers and battery-operated sprayers were distributed to two tribal settlements viz., Molayanoor and Vilampatti of Salem district. A DAPSTC video on ‘Empowering tribals: Transforming Lives’ was also screened during the occasion. Registered sugarcane growers of Subramaniya Siva Co-op Sugar Mills Ltd., Dharmapuri and Bannari amman Sugars Ltd., Erode had participated in the programme.

            During the occasion, a Tamil publication entitled ‘ வாழ்விற்கு கரும்பு சாகுபடி (Sugarcane Farming for Prosperity)’ was released and distributed. Those interested in purchasing the 224-page book @ Rs. 170.00 can contact sbikrishi[at]gmail[dot]com OR sbilibrary[at]gmail[dot]com .

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(Release ID: 2143845)