Dimapur, May 30 (EMN): State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI) organised a two-day training programme on “Sensitisation of women farmers’ friends on formation of group, farm school and guidelines/ modalities of farmers’ friends” for Farmer Friends (FF) from four ATMA districts namely Tuensang, Kiphire, Longleng and Mokokchung at SAMETI, Medziphema, from May 29 – 30.
The training programme was aimed at revisiting the role of Farmer Friends with special reference to group mobilisation, farm school and awareness creation and measures to combat Fall Army Worm (FAW).
Resource persons of the training programme were Deputy Project Directors (DPDs) of SAMETI Vikaho Chophi, Tiajungla Longchar and Sentinaro Longchar. The training programme covered various topics such as ‘Introduction to ATMA,’ ‘Organisational structure at various levels,’ ‘Farmer Friend (FF)-concept, objectives, duties,’ ‘Farm school-concept, objectives, functions,’ ‘Role of FF,’ ‘Guidelines on group formation, group approaches of FIG, CIG, FSG,’ and ‘Identification and management of Fall Armyworm (FAW).’
The trainees were taken on a field visit to bio-control, agri. chemistry and bio-fertiliser laboratories.
Lecturer and in-charge of bio-control lab, Dr. Beremjungla, gave the trainees a tour of the lab and explained about the production of bio-agents in the lab. Demonstrations on seed treatment and preparation of vermicompost were conducted by AFA of bio-fertiliser lab, Yavikhotou. At the agri. chemistry lab, a demonstration on soil sample collection was conducted by AI, Imosanen.
In a valedictory programme, Director of SAMETI and principal of IETC, Medziphema, Dr. I Amenla commended the participants for playing multiple roles such as a wife, mother, homemaker and farmer. She commented that “the inner strength of a woman was invincible and hence women should never undermine themselves.
She thanked them for their contribution to agriculture in particular and the society in general. She encouraged the participants to be open to learning in order to empower themselves and attend more training programmes in the future.
The programme concluded with distribution of certificates to the participants.
