Kisan Pathshalas to Educate Farmers on Best Farming Techniques in Prayagraj Villages from June

As part of its commitment to enhance farmers' income and introduce them to new technology, the state administration plans to establish Kisan Pathshalas in each of Prayagraj's 1425 gramme panchayat revenue villages. These Kisan Pathshalas will be held beginning in June under the auspices of the state agriculture department.

According to a senior district agriculture department official, they would also advise farmers on the best farming techniques for the region, weather, and soil quality, among other things.

Subhash Maurya, Prayagraj district agriculture officer, confirmed the development, saying the Kisan Pathshalas could not be formed for the past two years due of the Covid pandemic epidemic. "But now the government has given orders to restart them, and all preparations have been completed," he continued.

According to Vinod Kumar, deputy director, agriculture, Prayagraj, information about departmental initiatives would also be made available to farmers at these Kisan Pathshalas, which will be held for two days every month.

These workshops will feature experts from the Agriculture Development Centre, agriculture, animal husbandry, and other departments related to agriculture, he added. Kisan Pathshalas are an extension project launched by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2017 to encourage the use of modern farming techniques to make farming more profitable, sustainable, and resilient.

Unlike traditional extension services, this effort aims to package diverse aspects of agricultural knowledge and offer it through village-level trainings in all districts across the state. Participants are also given printed items containing this information (booklets, brochures). The main goal is to teach farmers agricultural information and techniques, which can boost agricultural production, soil health, and encourage integrated and diverse farming systems, according to officials.

The training normally consists of a two-to-three-hour evening session for a module in a village's primary school building. Farmers are given technical and vocational training in areas such as better varieties, crop and soil management, input utilization, and marketing. Farmers are also given information on the many government initiatives available to them and how they can take use of them.