Koraput: Once a Naxal hotbed and counted among the poorest of the tribal areas in the country, the Narayanapatna and Bandhugaon areas of Koraput district today tell a tale of accomplishment and transformation. With government intervention and an endeavor to prosper, the farmers of these backward districts have transformed themselves into the leading producers of lemon grass oil in Odisha today.
What started as a small experiment of crop diversification and income enhancement initiative in the area, lemon grass cultivation and oil extraction has become the most visible chapter of success of Koraput district. The initiative has already stated changing the economic prospects of these far off underdeveloped people of Koraput district. The combined efforts by the ORMAS, DPMU, ITDA, TDCC and OAIC have helped the lemon grass produced in the hinterlands of Koraput to spread the fragrance all around.
In a major boost to the toils of the Lemon Grass farmers, oil extraction and processing units set up in the areas have facilitated them to draw oil immediately after harvest without depending on private players and going to neighboring states. The district administration supported eight Producer Groups with oil extraction units – six in Bandhugaon and two in Narayanpatana blocks. These units were supported by ORMAS, DPMU, ITDA and OAIC.
When there were no oil extraction units in the areas, the farmers used to take their produce to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh where middlemen and agents exploited them. Apart from this, the transportation costs made the profits dwindle. The setting up of the Oil extraction units has vastly helped the lemon grass farmers and in terms of savings in money through transportation charges, time and labour. The units supported by the government also extract oil at a concession rate.
Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society helped each extraction unit with Rs 2.04 lakhs towards Institution Building and Capacity Building. ORMAS also came to the rescue of the women farmers when the rates of lemon grass oil tanked and they faced a bleak future in 2018-19. The eight producer groups today sell their produce to Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd or TDCC which in turn sells the produce in the various urban areas. TDCC gave the farmers Rs. 1350/- per kg of Lemon Grass oil. The lemon grass oil produced in the Bandhugaon and Narayanapatna areas created a distinct identity at the Pallishree Mela, Koraput and State Level SISIR SARAS Exhibition at, Bhubaneswar.
The intervention by the district administration has helped about 350 women farmers to making good income from lemon grass cultivation in the 3000 hectares of land. They produce about 50 kilograms of oil from a hectare.
The government of Odisha led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has been focusing on enhancing income of farmers particularly the women, with crop diversification, technology enhancement and various other interventions. A multi-dimensional pilot project to improve the lives of farmers through application of science and Technology has been launched that aims to improve productivity in horticulture and cultivation of alternative tuber crops and aromatic grasses on unused land. The continuous support of ORMAS with convergence is strengthening the women farmers in Naryanpatna and Bondhugaon Block.
Bandhugan’s success has inspired other blocks of the district as well. Lemon Grass cultivation has been taken up in Borigumma now. We are also going to partner with CSIR labs to effectively distill the essential oils and make better use of the biomass, said Koraput Collector Abdaal M. Akhtar.