Sustainable Vegetable Cultivation Stops Sri Tankadhar from Migrating for Livelihood
Due to lack of farm work during the non-khariff or off-season, the populace of Western Odisha, especially the small farmers and landless wage earners of Bolangir district, migrate to neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh or Chhatishgarh to work as kiln labourer or rickshaw puller only to be exploited. While some of them get MGNREGA work at best for 80 days, most of them getembarrassed by the borrowing they make from local money landers.
Sri Tankadhar Jani, son of Biswambar Jani of village Laripada under Patrapali GP of Bolangir district is one such case. He is a small farmer having 3 acres of rainfed land mostly upland, in which he used to cultivate crops in the kharif season.However, it was insufficient to support his family of 4 members - 2 numbers of children and his wife besides himself.
Though he had dug a well and used to grow vegetables using chemical fertilizers and pesticides the income was not worth the cost. The MGNREGA work hours which he could get were very insufficient for an earning. So, he used to migrate to other states as a daily wage earner in the non-kharif season. There he could earn only to cover his subsistence and would return embarrassed.
It was at this juncture that he was sensitized by NYDHEE staff for vegetable cultivation in sustainable manner using organic manures. He had no knowledge of the organic method of cultivation. As he expressed his interest now, his name was included in the Programme Participant’s list of PHF supported project of beneficiaries and he attended 2-day training on soil health management and organic manner of vegetable cultivation. He learnt the organic methods of farming such as seed treatment, seed bed preparation, transplantation method, water management and use of weeders. He also learnt on preparation of pot manure, jeevamruta, and cow-dung use. He also participated a training on making compost pit.
As his confidence fortified, he started vegetable cultivation first in a small piece of 0.10 acres of land with the seed support of NYDHEE.
Today he cultivates total 9 kinds of vegetables such as coriander leaves, greens, brinjal, tomato, cowpea (country bean), bitter gourd, okra (ladies’ finger), pumpkin and beet root in his small piece of land in organic manner.
He is also assisted by her wife in this organic and sustainable method of vegetable cultivation. They both are happy about the new venture and hope that besides providing them nutritious food it wouldprovide them a sustainable livelihood. They were grateful to NYDHEE for their motivation and support. Now they have made their mind to concentrate onorganiccultivation and never to migrate for work.