Vegetable Cultivation Changes Attitude

Residents of Manjhalwara village in Kabrai development block of Mahoba district used to do agricultural operations in traditional manner, leading to poor yield of under Rs 10,000 per acre. Ten to 15 families also used to do vegetable cultivation following traditional means, but even in that there was practically no income.

The population of the village is 1,593 and the number of families 306. The Scheduled Caste population is nearly 36 per cent. The agriculture is mainly rainfed and only Kharif and Rabi crops are raised.

Gramonnati Sansthan imparted training in vegetable cultivation by SCI method to the members of farmers group. Motivated with the training, the village farmer Khalak Singh cultivated tomato and onion by SCI method. He got better yield and cut input costs considerably. He raised tomato on 2 decimal land. As against an investment of Rs 1,589, his net income was Rs 6,811 when he did cropping by SCI method, whereas earlier he used to invest Rs 2,000 and suffer a net loss of Rs 50. This method successfully tackles water deficiency in Bundelkhand area and reduces risk from natural disaster even as income increases four fold. If one cultivates tomato on 1 acre, he can get an net income of Rs 3,20,550, or an income of Rs 28,379 per month!

Seeing the results, 84 farmers have started vegetable cultivation on their fields in jayad crop. Farmers are raising brinjal and lady finger crop by SCI method. In all 15 farmers are cultivating bottle guard and taroi by scaffolding method. Per family income has increased by an average Rs 42,000.