This is the story of five farmers who are doing vegetable cultivation in Imaliya and Guraval villages. They share their experience of success in vegetable cultivation which has been well advocated in solving the problem of food security and livelihood for earning. They are rich source of minerals, vitamins, fibre and contain a fair amount of protein as well as carbohydrates. In addition to local market demand vegetables have the potential for both domestic and export market.
Vidhya Adivasi, Lachchi Adivasi and Pooran are living in Imaliya village since many years with their families. For their livelihood they were completely dependent on seasonal crop, minor forest produce collection and sometimes migrated to cities to earn money. The cluster coordinator of Parhit has met these three farmers, inquired about their earning and suggested them to cultivate vegetables with their normal crops to earn money. He promised them to help with seeds from the Horticulture Department.
All three farmers cultivated pumpkin on one acre of their agriculture land and took care of the crop. Production was good and they sold the produce in Gwalior market. After meeting all the expenses, they earned profit of Rs 25,000. They have resolved to cultivate vegetables so they can earn more money. Now they are ready to change their crop pattern and apart from raising usual one crop they will cultivate vegetables also.
Two other farmers also started vegetable cultivation with our support. Jagram Adivasi and Angad Adivasi are doing vegetable cultivation in one acre with our help. During Kisan Mazdur Sangh meeting all shared their experience, problems and future of upcoming kharif crop. Jagram and Angad, also part of that meeting, said they used to cultivate seasonal crop, but that is not much profitable, and they used to migrate with their families. At the migration places the earning was not good and they faced many problems. After hearing them the organisation decided to provide support to them from the Horticulture Department. They changed their crop pattern and cultivated spice crop with sesame crop. Through spice crop they earned profit of Rs 60,000 by selling the produce in the local market as well as district market. They are happy with this intervention.
These farmers have now decided to cultivate pea and other vegetables during rabi crop.
