IRF supports Aaranyak venture to promote eco-friendly farming

Guwahati, Nov 10: As part of a sustained campaign to reduce use of chemical fertilisers by farmers in the proximity of wildlife habitats, the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) has extended support to premier biodiversity conservation organisation, Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) in training farmers residing the landscape of Laokhowa Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) on  eco-friendly organic farming and vermicomposting.

The Manager of Rhino Research Conservation Division (RRCD) of Aaranyak informed that a blueprint has been prepared for carrying out wide campaign for farmers and villagers residing near the WLS aimed at popularising organic farming and vermicomposting.

Several training workshop have been planned one of those have already taken place in collaboration with Laokhowa Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary Authority and Laokhowa Burhachapori Conservation Society (LBCS) with support from the IRF.

It was a day-long workshop on organic farming and vermicomposting organised for the farmers of fringe village of Laokhowa at Chitalmari village. 
Vermicompost is an eco-friendly product and poses no threat to the environment. Hence, promotion of organic farming and vermicomposting in the fringe villages around Laokhowa Burhachapori WLS will be beneficial for both the villagers and the wildlife of the area.

Expert Mohan Bora, a national Award winning farmer from Jorhat in Assam, trained thirty selected farmers from Chitalmari East and West villages on organic farming and vermicomposting. The participants have been sufficiently trained and sensitised to practise the process for the first time in their homestead gardens as well as in the agriculture fields.

Arup Kalita, Range Officer of Gorajan Range inaugurated the workshop where environment activist and writer Swapan Nath, Naushad Ahmed, Beat Officer, Sutirpar Beat Office and social worker  Ali Akbar shared their views in the workshop on the importance of organic farming and vermicomposting. Abdul Ahad, forester I at Gorajan, members of EDC and representative of Pothar Porichalona Samiti were also present in the programme.

The Aaranyak with support from IRF is well set to hold many more such workshops in the area to train a large number of farmers on eco-friendly agriculture activities so as to protect the natural environment from pollution due to use of chemical fertilisers.