ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana

ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR–NRCB), Tiruchirappalli, organized the live telecast of the 21 st instalment transfer of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi to the farmers by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, along with the Inauguration of the South India Natural Farming Summit -2025 on 19 November 2025. At ICAR-NRCB, the farmers and other stakeholders were assembled in the Conference Hall and the programme commenced at 11:30 AM with a welcome address by Dr. V. Kumar, Principal Scientist, followed by the presidential address by Dr. J. Poorani, Director (I/c), ICAR–NRCB, where the importance of pest management in banana was explained to farmers. In the Technical sessions on Advanced Production Technologies in Banana by Dr. V. Kumar and Improved Post-Harvest Technologies in Banana by Dr. K. N. Shiva were conducted until 1:45 PM. This sessions focused on various central/state schemes, natural farming, nutrient and water-efficient techniques, shelf-life extension methods, and sustainable post-harvest innovations, value addition and waste utilization. Farmers keenly interacted with the scientific staffs of the institute. The live webcast of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi and Natural Farming Summit was telecast from Coimbatore from 1.45 PM onwards. The programme was attended by more than 165 farmers and other stakeholders from nine neighbouring villages, representatives from five FPOs/FPCLs, local officials, and the scientific and technical staff of ICAR–NRCB. Key messages from the Hon'ble Prime Minister emphasized financial empowerment through PM–KISAN, promotion of natural farming, technological innovation, and strengthened market connectivity. During his address, the Hon’ble Prime Minister emphasized the government’s vision to double agricultural exports and encouraged youth participation in agriculture for rapid sectoral growth. He highlighted India’s leadership in minor millet production and stressed the significance of natural farming, noting that Tamil Nadu plays a crucial role and that India is emerging as a global hub for natural farming. As part of the event, Mr. Ammiahraj, a progressive farmer and a beneficiary of ICAR–NRCB, was honoured by the Prime Minister for his outstanding contribution to banana production adopting natural/organic farming methods, showcasing impactful farmer–scientist collaboration, particularly ‘Disease Management in Banana’. Participants expressed their interest in adopting natural farming techniques and advanced banana production technologies and appreciated the institute’s initiative in organizing such an informative programme. After the programme, Banana Sakthi micronutrient formulations developed by ICAR–NRCB were distributed to the participating farmers to support better nutrient management in banana cultivation. The programme was effectively coordinated by Dr. V. Kumar, Dr. K. N. Shiva, and Dr. P. Ravichamy at ICAR–NRCB.