Collective cultivation by Women Farmers Development Association at Harada village, Arsha, Purulia, India

Inter cropping is one of the major tool for good management, better survival and enhancement in Orchard Development  under  income under Action Research Project  initiated by Gramin Vikas Trust( GVT)- A National level Development Organization, promoted by KRIBHCO. Under this project 150 nos. of farmers ( all Women, from the exiting SHGs under the umbrella of Harada Mahila Krishak Unnayan Samiti- Harada- Women Farmers Development  Association) started Groundnut cultivation during the year (2016-17) and all total more than 150 Bigha lands ( I Bigha-33 cent- l land unit) were covered under this activity. This Groundnut cultivation started with the financial and technical supported from BCKV (State Agriculture University, West Bengal, India) , Kalyani, Nadia under ICARDA( International center for Agriculture Research in Dry areas)  Project. Every farmer grew the groundnut with more than 2.5 – 3 quintals per Bigha and sold in the local markets @ Rs 4000/-( USD 53) per quintal with an earning of Rs 12000.00 ( USD 170) from Groundnut cultivation.

 It was made possible with the proactive leadership of the local SHG leader Smt. Malati Singh, from Harada Village, Arsha, Purulia.  Earlier no such cultivation (Groundnut) took place in that undulated, waste land, but with the facilitation of GVT and the leadership of the local Women Farmers Association, Groundnut cultivation was started in that locality and the produces were marketed in the local market by the local SHG and Women Farmers Development Association. Smt. Malati Singh under the aegis of Harada Mahla Krishak Unnayan Samiti ( ie, Women Farmers Association- a federated body of SHGs) took the pivotal role in transforming that  uncultivated  waste fallow land in to a cultivable land through Ground nut cultivation and was instrumental in enabling the the Women farmers in receiving remunerative returns from their produces, which was highly appreciated by all the stakeholders including the District /Block Government officials. It was a good initiative and exemplary convergence work of groundnut cultivation in Purulia district- one of the most backward districts in eastern part of India. .