Koraput: At a time when Odisha is dependent on neighbours for its requirement of potatoes, a trend reversal is happening in the hinterlands of Koraput. With the intervention of the district administration under various schemes, SHG members especially women have turned into farmers and transforming the unused land into cultivable farms. One such example is the cultivation of potato in Chakarjhola village in Dashmantapur Block by WSHGs. Today, they are able to produce enough organic potatoes to sell them in the neighbouring areas that too with a premium.
For the twenty members of Deomali Producer Group in Dasmantpur, Mission Jeevika has come as a blessing for their economic empowerment. In association with the implementing agency I.T.D.A., Koraput, they are today atmanirbhar by producing high quality potatoes. Cultivation of potato has become the main source of income generation.
The Koraput district administration, which has been taking active interest in ensuring new and unique sources of income, helped the Women SHG members for initiating potato cultivation last year. This year the Deomali Producer Group of Chakarjhola village in Dashamantapur block have shown that where there is will there is a way. The twenty members of the Producer Group cultivated organic potatoes in 12 acres of land. Starting with an input of 6 quintals of potato seeds in this rabi season, they ended the crop year with an harvest of fifteen quintals of potatoes per acre. The quality of potatoes is also good as they are organic and without any fertilisers.
ITDA, the implementing agency for the Mission Jeevika, continuously provided the necessary help and knowhow to the women farmers and duly monitored the progress. The beneficiary farmers were instructed to do organic cultivation using locally available manure made of cow dung. The result was an astounding harvest of 12 to 15 quintals per acre. With the potatoes being sold in market at the rate of Rs 1500 per quintal, the members have made a sizable profit from it.
Speaking on the success of the Self Help Group Members involved in potato cultivation, Collector Md Abdaal Akhtar says, “the administration provided the input and the produce is the outcome of the efforts of the women. We wanted to provide them a good source of income. We are also trying to provide them strong market linkage so that they get good prices for their produce. Now we have almost become self sufficient in harvesting potatoes for our consumption in the district.”
Stressing the need for involving more and more Women Self Help Group Members in agriculture, Karu Soren, PA, ITDA, says that “ the success of the members at Chakarjhola has proved that we can replicate the same in other areas too. We are definitely going for that. In the coming days we will maximum utilise the unused land for the benefit of the tribal people.”