P’garh farmer gets ISAF Krishivaniki Kisan award for his contribution to agroforestry

Prayagraj: Utkrisht Pandey, a pioneering farmer from Pratapgarh, has been awarded with ISAF (Indian Society of Agroforestry) Krishivaniki Kisan award 2025 for his outstanding contributions in adoption and promotion of agroforestry as enabled by ICAR-CAFRI. The honour comes in recognition of Pandey’s groundbreaking work in introducing sandalwood and various varieties of turmeric farming in Uttar Pradesh.On his seven-acre farm, ‘Rishigram’, in Bhadauna village, Pandey has successfully cultivated over 3,000 sandalwood plants and four hybrid turmeric varieties, showcasing exemplary organic and natural farming practices.Talking to TOI, Pandey said, “It is an immense honour for me to be awarded with ISAF Krishivaniki Award by the ICAR-CAFRI during an event held in Jhansi on May 8”. He added “ Krishivaniki is dedicated to recognizing progressive farmers across the nation and promoting agroforestry”.Pointedly, the executive committee members of ISAF had selected Pandey after acknowledging his commendable journey in agroforestry.Remarkably, several foreign delegation had too visited Pandey’s farmhouse to explore organic farming opportunities in the past one year and learn from India’s experiences, focusing on rural economy development and growing interest in sustainable agricultural practices. Notably, Pandey was also invited by the UP govt after recognizing his pioneering work in sandalwood farming and organic practices last year.Pandey, a former Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) officer, was the first in UP to launch the cultivation of sandalwood plants and hybrid varieties of turmeric on his seven-acre land in Bhadauna village.He acquired the necessary skills for sandalwood farming from a Bengaluru-based institute. He’s not only implementing these techniques on his own farm but also sharing his knowledge with other farmers in UP as well as other states. Moreover, Pandey’s initiative to train farmers in growing sandalwood and turmeric aimed to promote sustainable agriculture practices in the region.“After taking premature retirement from Central Armed Police Forces in 2016 from the post of assistant commandant, I decided to take up technical and skilled farming on my agricultural land. Initially, I planted 400 sandalwood saplings in 2019, and now my farm has over 3,000 plants and a wide range of turmeric varieties,” Pandey said.He believes that sandalwood production will increase employment opportunities for villagers, especially women, and lead to reverse migration and sustainable development.