Subarnapur: Giving a new dimension to MGNREGS, the Subarnapur district administration has taken up the lemon grass cultivation under the flagship scheme for the first time to arrest migration problem and bring about a change in the sustainable livelihood of the rural poor.
The project will not only benefit farmers directly involved in cultivation but also provide employment to needy job seekers of the locality.
To implement the project, around 100 acres of barren land of 46 beneficiaries have been identified for cultivation. During the 2019-20 financial year, lemon grass cultivation will be taken up in 28.5 acres of land under MGNREGS involving project cost of Rs.36.52 lakh.
The project has been formally launched by District Collector Monisha Banerjee on Friday in Lakarma village under Sonepur Block in the presence of PD, DRDA, Director, Soil Conservation, Chairperson, Sonepur Block and other PRI members.
Banerjee, who has prepared a slew of measures for the successful implementation of the project, is encouraging the farmers to take commercial benefits of lemon grass cultivation for a sustainable livelihood.
The cultivation started over 13.75 acres of land belonging to nine farmers against the target of 28.5 acres.
How Lemon Grass Cultivation Beneficial to the Farmers
Commercial organic Lemon grass cultivation is an alternative land based livelihood for marginal and small farmers as the yield is calculated around Rs.50,000 during the first year and about Rs 1 lakh per acre per annum during the second year onwards. Though the price of the oil varies from Rs 800-Rs 1200 in wholesale and fetches much more in retail market where the buyback arrangement is done with some potential marketing agencies. The crop is a non-browsable, non-grazeable and free from pest attack as it is a natural bio pest management itself. It is also a very good crop for elephant menace.
Lemon grass cultivation has manifold benefits like increase the standard of livelihood, use of barren land, checks soil erosion, increase the moisture status of the land and is also a medicinal plant.
Lemon grass is a perennial, which means once it is planted; the grass comes back year after year. Lemon grass cultivation will be profitable for the farmers as it gives return for consecutive six years. The project cost per acre for three years will be around Rs.1,28,000 which will be met out of MGNREGS fund and will generate income around Rs .250000. The oil extraction will be around 50 litres per acre for the first year and 100 ltrs. per annum from the second year onwards.
The farmers will harvest three crops in a year. There is demand of Lemon grass oil in the market for its medicinal value. As a preparatory measure, a team of 13 farmers of Lakarma village had been to Suliapada Block of Mayurbhanj District to interact with the Lemon grass farmers and to acquire knowledge about its cultivation, oil extraction process and marketing facility of the product etc.
Project Director, Watershed is the Nodal Agency for the Lemon grass cultivation project whereas Prof. S.K.Dash is providing technical support.
The Subarnapur administration has pinned high hopes on this project to bring about a desirable change in the sustainable livelihood of the rural poor.
Comments are closed.