VIJAYAWADA: Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) of Andhra Pradesh has received Rs 1 crore prize money for winning Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (CGF) Award.
Responding to the latest achievement of RySS, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the natural farming entity to utilise these funds to expand their operations globally.
The Rs 9-crore cash prize, shared with US-based soil scientist Dr Rattan Lal and Egyptian biodynamic farming network SEKEM, recognises Andhra Pradesh’s Community Managed Natural Farming (APCNF) model for its innovative approach to sustainable agriculture.
Budithi Rajsekhar, Special Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, highlighted natural farming’s scientific basis and its potential for improving both local and global ecological health. Vijay Kumar Thallam, executive vice chairman of APCNF, highlighted the programme’s success, with delegations from 45 countries visiting Andhra Pradesh over the past three years to observe the APCNF model in action.
RySS plans to use the prize money to fund farmer visits, training sessions, and implement APCNF’s innovative Pre-Monsoon Dry Sowing technology. The funds will also support knowledge-sharing on climate-resilient farming methods.