Training

Balrampur is a newly formed district carved out of Surguja in 2012. According to SECC report 2011, Balrampur is one of district that has low socio economic indicators like 93.6 % of HHs has income less than Rs 5000 per month, ST HH constitutes 64 %,  9.7 % of the HHs are PVTG households and 6.15 HHs are migrant households,etc. Belsar Gram Panchayat of Sankargarh block is no exception to this.  There are around 330 HHs, out of which 236 i.e. 71.5 % are the poorest of the poor households belonging to PVTGs   Rainfed agriculture is mostly practiced in the entire district. As a result of this, the socio economic vulnerability of the district is very high.

The present case study talks about the new approach of farming that brought smiles on the face of the members of Durgesh SHG by practicing organic farming, a practice of chemical free practice. The SHG has 10 members all of which are active members and every month they conduct meetings where they do all kind of lending’s among themselves. Apart from this usual activity, the group until 2018 used to do hybrid variety of paddy cultivation in their 12 acres of land with less profit as the agriculture input cost was as high as Rs 6100 per acre with total of Rs 73200/- was spent in 12 acres of land. However, in 2019 after the visit of SGVS team, a BRLF partner organization, things changed for the Durgesh SHG.

The SGVS team which advocated the concept of organic farming in Balrampur district met Durgesh SHG for Gram Panchayat’s over all development planning. The SHG motivated and persuaded the SHG to practice SRI method of paddy cultivation and line sowing in their land in place of traditional farming. They also provide training on the improved agriculture practices and the different steps of SRI method of paddy cultivation to the SHG members. The constant persuasion motivated the SHG to undertake SRI and line method of paddy cultivation.

The Durgesh SHG for the first time adopted organic farming in 2019 out of their 12acres of land did SRI method of paddy cultivation in 5 Acres of land Line method of sowing in 7 acres of land. The cost of agriculture input in the organic farming was Rs 3200 per acre with a total cost of Rs 38400 for 12acres of land. As a result of this, the SHG had clear saving of Rs 34800/- in terms of input cost. In addition to this, with the adoption of organic farming, the soil moisture content and fertility of the soil will be restored in the long which will bring down the climate change impacts and increase the nutritional value of food. Durgesh SHG is now self-reliant for making of bio-fertilizer & bio-pesticides. SHG members collect cow urine through their cow sheds by time to time and prepare various types of bio-fertilizer & pesticides through the use of cow urine. The SHG is also preparing to sell the bio-fertilizer & bio-pesticides to other farmer families in the gram panchayat.

In 2020, the direct saving in terms of input cost and has motivated to other SHGs in the panchayat to go for organic farming. Durgesh SHGs is now feeling empowered financially and in the future they are expecting to save money in future and can contribute equally with their husband for their family. SHG members have decided to practice vegetable cultivation through organic way by coming Rabi season to earn more profit by cutting the production cost.