Metro India News | Hyderabad 

M Kodanda Reddy, Chairperson, Telangana State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Commission stressed that supporting natural farming is a collective responsibility of consumers as well as government apart from farmers. He was the chief guest at the premiere of a film titled “A.T.M - Any Time Money” which highlighted the journey of farmers in Kadapa, Prakasham and Guntur districts of Andhra Pradesh who embraced natural farming. The film was screened at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Begumpet at an event co-organized by the Centre for Sustainable Agriculture (CSA), Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention (CPSP) and University of Edinburgh.

Speaking at the event M Kodanda Reddy said that farmers alone cannot be expected to take the risks of transition to natural farming and urged governments to provide subsidies and policies on par with conventional farming. He also urged the consumers to support fair pricing.  Dr. Shaik N Meera, Director, Agriculture Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI) Hyderabad, emphasized the growing acceptance of agroecological transitions and underscored Telangana’s potential to lead in fruit and vegetable production.

Dr. Divya Veluguri, Program Director, Deccan Development Society, emphasized the need to support women farmers and laborers who make significant contributions to the movement. Dr. GV Ramanjaneyulu, Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, discussed the interconnected economic and ecological crises in agriculture. He stressed that meaningful change at the farmer level requires supportive markets that align with sustainable practices.

The film also featured the experiences of farmers who narrated that their profits almost doubled after using natural fertilizers. Certain consumers who narrated their experiences in the panel discussion said that there was a need to market the organic and natural fertilizers through agencies like cooperative societies. They also suggested incentivizing farmers to shift to crops like millets in the long run from conventional ones like paddy and cotton. The event concluded with a resolution to organize a strategic planning meeting to advance natural farming in Telangana, involving key stakeholders.