AP govt to recruit 'farm scientists' in every village

Hyderabad, Dec 17 (UNI) With in view to strengthening the knowledge of farmers and empower them technically, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to recruit 'farm scientists' from the farming community in every village from next year.

They would be selected from the farmers field schools where the peasant were being trained. Two farm scientists would be posted in every panchayat of which 30 per cent of them would be women.

The scientists would be trained in production, post harvest, marketing technology, water management, WTO issues and animal husbandry, an official release said here today.

With soil equipment test, water test kits and a farm library on wheel, the farm scientists would tours their villages and educate the farmers on modern and organic farming techniques.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said 50,000 farm scientists would be recruited from the peasant communty in the next three years and a graduation ceremony would be organised annually in recognisation of their services.

The government also proposed to set up 5,000 Rythu Vaigyanic Resource Centre (RVRC) as a basic institution for technology transfer and feedback centre. Ten farm scientists would be selected in every RVRC covering 2,000 farmers in every village in the state, the release added.

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