ANGUL FARMER IMPROVES FARMING PRACTICES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH RELIANCE FOUNDATION'S SUPPORT

Sep 15, 2023 - 14:26

ANGUL FARMER IMPROVES FARMING PRACTICES SIGNIFICANTLY WITH RELIANCE FOUNDATION'S SUPPORT

Bhubaneswar(15/09/2023): A farmer from Angul district of Odisha has improved his farming practices significantly with support and guidance from Reliance Foundation.

Manmohan Majhi, a 50-year-old farmer residing in the village of Handigoda, located in the Chhendipada block of Angul district comes from a farming family.

He has witnessed generations of his family cultivating their ancestral lands.

Although he had a strong inclination towards education and successfully completed his B.A.degree from Angul College, unavailability of employment opportunities paved way towards farming profession, a choice that brought me great happiness.

Majhi says, “With 23 years of farming experience under my belt, I feel deeply connected to the land and maintaining a family of four members including my wife, a son and a daughter.

I am having a total of 9 acres of land, allocating 3.5 acres for rice cultivation, 2.5 acres for growing bananas, 2 acres for mango cultivation and the remaining 1 acre for cashew cultivation.

Over the past few years, I encountered several challenges related to weed management, pests and diseases in my paddy fields.

Additionally, I was deprived of access to essential information like weather forecasts and pest disease management.

To address weed issues, I used to hire labourers, incurring considerable expenses.

Many times I also struggled to find reliable labourers.

Furthermore, I frequently traveled to Balipata to purchase pesticides from a local vendor, but still found it challenging to effectively control pests.

My thirst for knowledge and willingness to learn continuously led me to embrace new opportunities.

Fortunately, in May 2022, I received a voice message from Reliance Foundation regarding agricultural information and was provided with the toll-free number 1800 419 8800.

Since then, I remained in constant contact with Reliance Foundation.

For a farmer like me, weather forecasts are of paramount importance, as it guides our cultivation plans.

In 2021, I cultivated varieties such as MTU 1001, Kalachampa, and Puja in my paddy fields.

However, due to a drought, more than 50% of my crop got damaged, and the remaining 50% suffered heavy infestations of stem borers and bacterial leaf blight (BLB), resulting in substantial losses.

So, I managed to harvest only 10 quintals of rice from my 3.5 acres of land.

In 2022, I received regular voice messages from Reliance Foundation, guiding me from seed selection and weather forecasts to harvesting and storage.

I also actively participated in audio conferences conducted by Reliance Foundation Information Service (RFIS), where I gained valuable insights into nutrient management and weed control.

Accordingly, I utilized the toll-free helpline number 18004198800 to seek solutions for issues like brown plant hopper (BPH), stem borer, leaf folder, and bacterial blight in paddy.

I diligently followed all the advice and recommendations provided by agricultural experts, resulting in the resolution of these problems.” This year, I cultivated paddy with the benefit of irrigation facilities and adhered to the advice provided by RFIS, enabling me to harvest 50 quintals of rice from my 3.5 acres of land.

Last year, I sold 8 quintals of paddy at the cost of Rs 1,940 per quintal and received Rs 15,520 after storing some paddy for my own use.

This year, after storing 5 quintals of paddy for own use, I managed to sell 45 quintals of paddy at the cost of Rs 2,040 per quintal and got Rs 91,800, he expressed happily.

. The farmer’s trust in RFIS has grown over time, and he now regularly seeks suggestions and advice from their helpline services.

Now, he genuinely believes that his farming practices have improved significantly since he began receiving guidance from RFIS, leading to an increase in his agricultural income.