Representatives of KfW-Germany study natural farming practices in Sathya Sai village - The HinduUpdated - September 22, 2026 07:28 pm IST - VIJAYAWADARepresentatives of KfW, Germany, interacting with farmers during their visit to a natural farming field at Patachamarlapalli village in Sri Sathya Sai district on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENTVIJAYAWADAA research partners’ team from KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau), a German state-owned investment and development bank, visited Patachamarlapalli village in Chilamathur mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district to study the implementation of natural farming at the field level.The team, comprising KFW Germany Sector Economist Iris Harder and KFW New Delhi Senior Specialist Sangeetha Agarwal, studied farmers’ experiences, compact blocks, farmer producer organisation (FPO) activities and the role of natural farming cadres.The visit began with an overview of Patachamarlapalli village. The team was also briefed on the development of compact blocks and field-level interactions with farmers.The KFW representatives interacted with farmers who had shifted from conventional farming to natural farming and learnt about their experiences during the transition and the changes they had observed after adopting the practices.The team also visited a 0.50-acre Mulberry A-Grade model farm belonging to farmer Krishna Reddy and learnt about natural farming practices, crop management, and implementation of the A-Grade model in mulberry cultivation.The visit provided the KFW team with an understanding of various aspects of natural farming, including compact block development, individual farmers’ activities, FPO operations and the Mulberry A-Grade model, according to a press release. The team was accompanied by Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS) Executive Vice-Chairman T. Vijay Kumar, Advisor G. Muralidhar, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Lakshmana Naik, Senior Programme Manager Dr. Naveen and Natural Farming Associate Ravichandra, among others.Published - September 22, 2026 07:23 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products${ ind + 1 } ${ device }Last active - ${ la }