The State Bio Technology department director Dr JMS Rana inaugurated a two-day training programme on organic farming at the Navdanya biodiversity conservation farm in Ramgarh on Tuesday. Addressing the workshop participants, Rana said prosperity of farmers is the basis of public health while adding that farmers are true scientists. Exhorting the farmers to undertake biodiversity based organic farming, he appealed to them to include aspects of latest discoveries with farming based on traditional knowledge. Rana said exchange of seeds, change in crop cycles, mixed farming are bases of organic farming. He invited the farmers to gain information from training programmes organised by the department periodically. Farmers at Dehradun in Garhwal and Nainital in Kumaon are being trained in the first stage of the training programme. Addressing the participants, the Navdanya farm co-director Vinod Bhatt commended the State Bio Technology department for organising such programme. While informing the participants in detail about organic farming, Bhatt also informed them about the various activities held in Navdanya. He provided important information to farmers about seeds, organic manure made from cow dung and organic pesticides. About 50 farmers from four blocks in Uttarkashi, Tehri and Dehradun districts are attending the programme.