“With the implementation of the Agriculture Production Cluster (APC) programme in my locality, I was motivated to cultivate different seasonal crops adopting new ideas and technology. Now, I am earning around Rs. 30,000 out of vegetable cultivation in a season. Being a marginal farmer, earlier I used to cultivate only rice and millet-based crops in the traditional pattern of cultivation, but the income was hardly meeting the needs of my family”, says Dauna from G. Maliguda village.

Dauna Mali is a marginal woman farmer from G. Maliguda village of Kollar Gram Panchayat in Boipariguda Block of Koraput district. She is a very active member of the Pragati Producer Group and supports her husband in agriculture-related works. Following the traditional method of agricultural farming, both the couple were cultivating only rice and millet-based crops and hardly earning Rs 8000 to Rs 10000 in a year. With this meager amount, it was very difficult to manage the family. In the meantime, CYSD intervened in their Kollar Panchayat and facilitated the producer group members to adapt the Agriculture Production Cluster approach in their cultivation. Being an active member of the Pragati Producer Group, Dauna was quickly motivated to initiate cultivating different crops including vegetables along with other members through new ideas and technology. Gradually, she started cultivating Cauliflower, Brinjal, and Beans in her farmland during Kharif and Rabi seasons including summer.

 

During this Rabi season, Dauna was supported with 120 grams of Cauliflower seed inputs. She raised nursery and planted the sapling in 0.70 cents of land and protected the cropping area with green fencing boundary. Through attending orientation programs organized by CYSD periodically, she has acquired basic knowledge and skill on various steps of cultivation, nursery bed preparation, pest and disease management, main field management, winter crop selection, and appropriate application of pesticide, fertilizer, and manure in farmland for nutrient enhancement, so on.

 Having this agricultural knowledge, skill, and own interest in farming, with hard work, she has stood as a successful farmer in cauliflower. “This time, I had made an investment of Rs. 9500/- for cauliflower farming. As of the end of November, I have sold only 40% of cauliflowers earning Rs 12000, but yet to sell 60% of cauliflower”, says Dauna. 

 

Indeed, Dauna has become an example for other farmers in her village. She is well managing her family without any financial burden now. “Adaption of the APC method in agriculture has brought a transformation in the standard of living of my family. I look forward to chasing the new ideas and techniques toward cultivating more such vegetables”, she added.