Nauni varsity partners with Georgia firm to promote natural farming
Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry (UHF), Nauni, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nuts Cultivation Company (NCC), Georgia, to advance agroecological practices and natural farming techniques.
The NCC manages over 1,000 hectares of almond and hazelnut orchards and is actively involved in training smallholder farmers in organic practices through the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Vocational Education Training (VET) programme. By integrating natural farming techniques, NCC aims to enhance organic farming in Georgia using locally available resources for plant nutrition and pest management.
This collaboration will facilitate academic exchanges, faculty visits and knowledge-sharing between UHF and NCC. A UHF delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor Prof Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, is currently in Georgia to develop a roadmap for transitioning orchards in regions like Kazbechi and Sighnagi to natural farming.
Prof Chandel highlighted UHF’s expertise in agroecology and natural farming, noting its role in the European Union-funded ACROPICS consortium, which works to reduce chemical pesticide use through agroecological crop protection. Additionally, UHF was recently designated as one of the seven Centres of Natural Farming (CoNF) under India’s National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF). The university is also actively involved in training agriculture resource personnel.
Under this partnership, UHF will provide training to NCC on sustainable agroecological practices, focusing on natural farming for almond and hazelnut orchards. In turn, the NCC will fund the visits of UHF faculty, experts, and scholars to Georgia.
This collaboration is expected to significantly contribute to sustainable agriculture in both India and Georgia, fostering innovation in agroecological practices and strengthening global agricultural cooperation.
