Learning That Came to the Farmers’ Doorstep

More than 100 rice farmers from Masoom Support Foundation, Atlas Fairtrade Farms Association, Hope Farmers Association and Indus Farmers Association returned to their fields in July 2026 with practical methods to grow rice that uses less water, builds healthier soil and meets the quality expectations of organic and Fairtrade markets. The learning came through a structured, multi-village training programme on climate resilient agriculture, organic rice production and seed quality improvement, delivered by IJK Consultancy with the support of Fairtrade NAPP.

Eight participatory sessions were held across four days in the farmers’ own villages in Tehsil Kamoke, District Gujranwala, keeping travel time short for smallholders and learning close to the fields where it will be applied. Delivered bilingually in Urdu and English with locally contextualised visual materials, each session combined technical presentations with open discussion, live question and answer, and hands-on demonstrations of compost preparation and seed treatment.

Rice farming in Punjab is under growing climate pressure, from rising temperatures during flowering and grain filling to erratic monsoon patterns and increasing strain on water resources. For the four producer organisations, climate smart and regenerative practices offer a practical pathway to protect yields, strengthen resilience and reduce the environmental footprint of rice farming, while positioning their crop for markets that increasingly value sustainable production.

Climate Knowledge Rooted in Each Village’s Reality

One size did not fit all, and that was the point. Session content was adapted village by village on the basis of each producer organisation’s training needs assessment. Newer producer groups spent more time on the fundamentals of climate smart agriculture and water management, while groups further along in organic conversion went deeper into bio-pesticide preparation, seed quality and harvesting protocols. Every farmer therefore received training directly relevant to their own production stage and local conditions. Through interactive question and answer during the sessions, farmers demonstrated that they could identify locally available organic input sources, describe correct seed selection and treatment steps, and explain the reasoning behind water and pest management choices for their own fields, knowledge they can act on immediately.

“The training on climate-resilient pre and post-harvest techniques was very useful and easy to understand. We learned practical methods of preparing organic fertilizers and bio-pesticides, and the seed quality improvement techniques will help increase crop yield and better germination. ”

– Zeeshan Ahmed, Masoom Support Foundation

“The training content was highly relevant to current farming challenges such as climate change and water shortage. We suggest a follow-up session to achieve continuous learning.”

– Umar Farooq, Indus Farmers Association

Turning Farm Waste into Soil Wealth

In the sessions on organic inputs and soil health, farmers learned to prepare farmyard manure fermenters, compost, biochar, green manure, vermicompost, and liquid organic fertilisers and biofertilizers, with hands-on demonstrations of compost preparation. They also reviewed which soil conditioners and fertilisers are permitted under organic standards and which are restricted. The benefit is twofold: farmers can now produce quality inputs from materials already available on their farms, lowering input costs and supporting organic conversion, and rice residue gains value as a resource rather than being burned, offering a circular alternative to the residue burning that contributes to Punjab’s seasonal smog.

Growing More Rice with Less Water

Water was one of the most keenly discussed topics across the villages. Farmers explored Alternate Wetting and Drying, a technique that saves irrigation water and reduces methane emissions from paddies, along with laser land levelling and ICT-based water advisory tools. With conventional flood-irrigated rice systems facing a projected 30 percent water shortfall by 2050, these techniques offer farmers practical ways to keep rice viable on their land while using every drop more efficiently. By the end of the sessions, farmers could articulate how and when to apply these water management practices on their own plots.

Better Seeds, Better Harvests, Fewer Losses

Quality took centre stage in the sessions on seed and post-harvest management. Farmers practised selecting high-quality organic seed, treating it organically and improving germination, guided by live demonstrations of seed treatment. They then followed the crop’s journey beyond the harvest, learning proper harvesting techniques that preserve organic integrity as well as drying, storage and grain-handling practices that minimise post-harvest losses. Together, these skills point towards stronger germination, better crop quality and more of the harvest reaching the market in saleable condition.

Protecting Crops the Natural Way

Managing pests without harmful chemicals is one of the biggest questions in organic rice cultivation, and the training answered it with recipes farmers can prepare themselves. In the non-pesticidal pest management sessions, farmers learned to prepare and use neem oil, tobacco extract, garlic-chili spray and derris root preparations, and reviewed which pest control products are permissible and which are restricted under organic and Fairtrade Standards. Farmers can now protect their crop while safeguarding their own health, their soils and their access to organic and Fairtrade markets.

“The session helped in understanding natural pest management techniques without harmful chemicals. Farmers gained awareness about efficient water management and its benefits. The training was interactive and conducted in a simple, farmer-friendly way.”

– Saad Saeed, Atlas Fairtrade Farms Association

Carrying the Momentum into the Kharif Season

The farmers themselves have set the direction for what comes next. They have requested follow-up demonstrations at their individual farm sites during the upcoming Kharif season, a clear sign of their intent to turn classroom learning into standing practice. The producer organisations also shared practical suggestions for making future multi-village training rounds run even more smoothly, including earlier coordination of travel and accommodation arrangements.