Posted On:
18 AUG 2026 6:26PM by PIB Raipur
Dr. Amarender Reddy, FNAAS, Joint Director, Indian Council of Agricultural Research–National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (ICAR-NIBSM), Raipur, visited villages and a Bio-Resource Centre established with support from Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN) in Raigarh district to assess the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices and the functioning of the decentralised bio-input facility.
During his field visit to Bhikharimal village, Dr. Reddy interacted with farmers practising regenerative agriculture across approximately five acres of vegetable crops, including cucumber, ivy gourd and brinjal, and around eight acres of paddy. Farmers shared their experiences of shifting from conventional chemical-based farming to regenerative agriculture, citing soil degradation, rising input costs, pest and disease incidence and dependence on external inputs as key concerns that prompted the transition.
Farmers and the PRADAN team demonstrated the preparation and application of locally produced regenerative agriculture inputs, including Supercompost, Multiseeds, Agniastra, Brahmastra and improved farmyard manure. Farmers reported improvements in soil condition, crop growth and overall crop health following the adoption of these practices.
At Kotrapali, Dr. Reddy interacted with members of the Village Organisation to understand the institutional mechanisms for farmer mobilisation, village-level planning and implementation of regenerative agriculture. He also visited a mixed-crop regenerative agriculture plot spread over approximately two acres, where arbi, bitter gourd, brinjal and groundnut were being cultivated.
At Naurangpur, Dr. Reddy reviewed the functioning of the Bio-Resource Centre established with PRADAN support. The centre team demonstrated the production of Supercompost, Agniastra, Brahmastra, Multiseed, Neemastra, Beejamrit, Mathastra and Jeevamrit. Discussions covered raw-material procurement, preparation procedures, quality management, pricing, packaging, documentation and supply of bio-inputs to farmers.
The visit highlighted the potential of decentralised Bio-Resource Centres to ensure timely availability of locally produced bio-inputs, promote rural entrepreneurship and reduce farmers’ dependence on external chemical inputs. The centres can also provide an institutional mechanism for scaling up sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices at the community level.
Dr. Reddy appreciated the active participation and ownership demonstrated by farmers, as well as the systematic functioning and documentation maintained by the Bio-Resource Centre. The field-level experiences and operational practices observed during the visit are expected to contribute to the development of a practical, farmer-centric and scalable Standard Operating Procedure for Bio-Resource Centres in Chhattisgarh.
The visit also provided an opportunity to document the experience of the Raigarh team in developing a regenerative agriculture ecosystem encompassing farmer mobilisation, capacity building, field-level adoption, bio-input production, local entrepreneurship and community institutions. The visit reaffirmed the potential of community-based Bio-Resource Centres as an important institutional mechanism for strengthening sustainable agriculture and providing farmers with timely access to locally available bio-inputs.
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RDJ/BKT