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Sustainably Increasing Income through Agriculture Support Program

Sustainable agricultural practice, if adopted, in systematic pattern round the year, results ineconomic development in each family and the village as a whole. In the villages selected to be developed as model villages, the land use pattern observed of the people is:

1) a plot of cultivable land
2) a plot of fertile home yard and
3) a small portion of land as homestead land.

In addition to these, they also possess some undeveloped and uncultivated land. It isestimated that the plot of cultivated land and the fertile home yard, if rightly used, willenhance the productivity of land turning it to a regular source of income.

Four pillars that hold the base of agriculture:
1.Land
2.Labour
3. Funds
4.Means

In this venture, the villagers have land and labour, the sponsoring orgamization provided the financial resources to support and Shamayita Math had access toknowledge and improved techniques.

The objective of the Agriculture Support Program was to make the villagers realize that they can earn significantly more from the land they owned.

This was achieved by pursuing the following with the villagers:

Shamayita Math provided support to villagers at various levels to gain their consent and acceptance for improved techniques and these included-

Below is a table highlighting the changes – pre and post intervention at the villages:

Sl No.

Item

 

Status before November 2009

Status at present situation

1.

Ploughing

Used traditional way of  ploughing

At present targeted farmers are using tractors as well as traditional method of ploughing.

2.

Plot making

Land was not divided in plots.

Farmers are dividing their land into plots for better distribution of plants, water and pesticides etc.

3.

Seeds selection

Farmers had no knowledge about better seeds and they used desi seeds.

Now using Barastin, Thiram, Capton and treated seeds for vegetable and paddy.

4.

Seed sowing

Previously farmers practiced commonly broadcasting method of seed sowing.

Farmers are now practicing systematic and line to line seed sowing method.

5.

Fertilizer

Not used. They used only locally available manure and that too in an unorganized way.

For paddy they are using IFFCO, UREA and SSP.

6.

Inter culture

Farmers did not bother about inter culture for cultivation paddy or vegetable.

Farmers are conscious about inter culture and they are doing weed management, application of fertilizer and pesticides etc time to time.

7.

Irrigation

Farmers were only depending on rain water and not aware about the proper time of irrigation. They used only flow method of irrigation (in local language it is called Bouchhari Vidhi)

Now they are practicing timely irrigation in systematic way.        

8.

Insecticide and fungicide

Not used

Using insecticide and fungicide in time and as per requirement. Developed understanding on application of insecticide and fungicide.

9.

Plant growth hormone

Previously farmers were having no knowledge on it.

Now they have gained knowledge on plant hormone and about the higher production by application.

10.

Seasonal income

Earlier, not interested to grow seasonal vegetable and for that no seasonal income.

Due to seasonal vegetable cultivation fetching good income.

11.

Vegetable  cultivation

Peoples were not using their land for vegetable cultivation and basically they had no knowledge about vegetable cultivation.

Farmers are growing vegetable in their land in various season and gradually it is becoming commercialized 

Here are a few words from the beneficiaries-

“We now know that gold is in our land and we can grow them” – SudruKunjam, Kadampal village.

“Selling of vegetables from my field have fetched me Rs. 20000. Now, I will grow vegetables because I can earn much income” – BudhramKarti, Madadi village. 

“Please complete the irrigation tank construction in our village fast. I have purchased vegetable seeds for cultivation” – SantramKadti, a villager of Madari village who ignored and was indifferent to vegetable cultivation earlier.