The agricultural community in Nepal will pride itself on the services of 15 lead farmers who recently completed their training on the PlantVillage Nuru application navigation.

The main objective of the training, which was organized under the initiative of the Current and Emerging Threats to Crops Innovation Lab (CETC IL) supported by USAID, Penn State, PlantVillage, and iDE, was to make farmers technologically friendly and acquire expertise in using the Nuru app in the service of other farmers.

The training also sought to make the farmers' extension program participatory in order to incorporate their expectations and opinions and inform them about the current projects and their major benefits in the future.

Farmers actively follow the proceedings of a session in the workshop [Photo-PlantVillage]

The workshop, which was conducted at the Tilottama Municipality in Lumbini Province in western Nepal, adopted a basic approach of involving every farmer in a participatory session alongside presentations on the concept of digitalization in agriculture.

The event was graced by Tilottama Municipality office representative Ms. Bindu Raymajhi, two ward members of Tilottama Municipality Ward No. 14, the iDE team—Ditya Lamichhaney, Arun Limbu, and Soma Kumari Rana)—and Dream Team Rupandehi members Jeevan Rijal, Sushmita Sharma, and Dibya Thapa Magar. 

One of the key speakers during the training [Photo-PlantVillage]

The farmers went through three interactive sessions of the training handled by different members of the teams present.

In the first session, the farmers were taken through an introduction to the workshop and its objectives.

The second session involved the distribution of mobile phones to the 15 farmers. Farmers also learned how to use the Nuru app and understand its features.

Lead farmers and officials at the training pose for a photo [Photo-PlantVillage]

In the third session, the farmers were taken through a practical exercise to help them identify features and scan and scout for diseases in the app.

One of the lead farmers praised the work of the teams present. She said that regular visits and keeping updates on their farmers provides real-time information and can be useful in solving problems.

Some of the farmers were even interested in the animal section of the Nuru app because they own livestock such as cattle, buffalos, and goats.