BARGARH FARMER WINS BATTLE AGAINST PESTS THROUGH RELIANCE FOUNDATION INFORMATION SERVICES
Bhubaneswar(04/10/2023): Bijay Kumar Pradhan, a 33-year-old farmer residing in Dumalpali village, situated under Bhatli block in Bargarh district, had suffered a huge loss due to pest attack.
However, in May 2022, luck favoured him as he got connected with the Reliance Foundation, granting him access to a wealth of agricultural information and services.
These services helped him win the battle against pests and protect his crops. Bijay's roots lie in a family deeply ingrained in farming, spanning generations.
Despite a strong inclination towards education and the successful completion of his graduation, unavailability of job opportunities led him to choose farming as his profession, a decision that brought immense joy in his life.
With 13 years of farming experience and a family of six members, including his parents, wife, son, and daughter, he feels a profound connection to the land.
The farmer says, "I cultivate a total of 5.5 acres of land, dedicating 4 acres to rice cultivation and 1.5 acres to growing various vegetables like chilies, bitter gourd, cabbage, cauliflower and tomatoes.
Over the past few years, I encountered significant challenges, especially regarding disease and pest management in paddy and other vegetables.
I often relied upon pesticide dealers for purchasing and applying pesticides based on their advice, yet effectively controlling the disease pests remained a struggle, despite several rounds of application.
However, in May 2022, I came across the Reliance Foundation, granting me access to a wealth of agricultural information and services.
During the previous Kharif season of 2021, I faced numerous challenges, including Foot rot, BLB, sheath blight, and BPH, resulting in a harvest of 70 bags (35 quintals) of paddy from my 4 acres of land.
Fortunately, Reliance Foundation guided me comprehensively, covering aspects from seed selection to pest and disease management, all the way to harvesting and storage.
Actively participating in audio conferences conducted by Reliance Foundation Information Services (RFIS), I gained valuable insights into various facets of paddy cultivation.
I utilized the toll-free helpline number 18004198800 to seek solutions for issues like brown plant hopper (BPH), bacterial blight, sheath blight, and foot rot management in paddy.
Adherence to all the advice and recommendations provided by agricultural experts led to resolution of these problems. This year, I cultivated paddy implementing all the recommended practices suggested by Reliance Foundation, following the advice provided by agricultural experts.
This approach enabled me to harvest 105 bags (52 quintals) of paddy from the same 4 acres of land.
I sold my paddy to the nearest government paddy procurement center and earned around Rs.100,000, compared to the Rs.65,000 earned previously.
I highly appreciate the Reliance Digital Farm School program as it helped me protect my crop and earn an additional Rs.35,000 this season.
Moreover, the Reliance Foundation established a WhatsApp group where more than 70 farmers from our village, including myself, actively participated.
This platform allows us to stay in constant communication with agricultural experts, promptly addressing any concerns or issues related to our crops through image sharing and messaging." Extending his immense gratitude for the tireless efforts of the scientists, staff members, and the Reliance Foundation team, he strongly advocated for the continuation of such invaluable services, emphasizing their pivotal role in supporting farmers like himself.
