"Marginal Farmer's Resilience Through Trellis"

Khelkumari Malakar owns a small piece of land of 2.60 acres and is a marginal farmer due to the limited size of her landholding. Cowpea cultivation plays a crucial role in her agricultural activities. She relies mainly on agriculture for her livelihood, with the income from cowpea cultivation significantly contributing to her family's financial well-being. In addition to cowpeas, she diversifies her income sources by cultivating other crops such as bitter gourd, paddy, and green lips. Being part of the Saraswati Self-Help Group (SHG), Khelkumari likely benefits from collective efforts and support within the group. SHGs often provide a platform for farmers to share knowledge, and resources, and engage in joint activities for mutual benefit. Despite the challenges of being a marginalized farmer in a remote village, Khelkumari showcases resilience and resourcefulness in managing her small piece of land. The diversification of crops suggests a strategic approach to mitigate risks and enhance overall farm productivity.

CHALLENGES

As a marginal farmer, Khelkumari encountered various challenges. Limited access to resources, including modern farming equipment, lack of knowledge about vegetable farming, low risk taking capability, no awareness about pest management and quality seeds availability, had a noticeable impact on her yield. The fertile land in Adbahal is well-suited for crops like creepers. However, Khelkumari lacked knowledge about modern methods of creeper cultivation, such as trellising with threads. Instead, she used a much amount of wood to support creeper growth. This traditional approach not only required more workforce but also proved to be unsatisfactory for Khelkumari despite her best efforts. The gap in knowledge about innovative practices in creeper cultivation, specifically trellising with threads, Khelkumari faced challenges in her agricultural output. Despite her best efforts, the traditional trellis made of wood for support failed to meet expectations. With the traditional trellis, she could not produce much.

INTERVENTION

Khelkumari's journey towards becoming a successful creeper farmer began with the “HDFC Bank Parivartan Project”—the program aimed to uplift marginalized farmers by introducing them to efficient and sustainable farming practices. In the year 2022, she received support in the form of a trellis made of threads and small bamboo logs. Additionally, Khelkumari was trained on how to install it. Khelkumari chooses cowpea for several reasons and has cultivated 50dc of land. Cowpea is a hardy crop that can thrive in less fertile soils, making it suitable for her land. It's also a leguminous crop, adding nitrogen to the soil and improving its fertility. Additionally, cowpea has a short duration of growth, allowing them to cultivate multiple crops in a year. Khelkumari adopts sustainable farming practices to mitigate some of these challenges. She practices crop rotation to maintain soil fertility, uses organic manure, and practices rainwater harvesting. She relies on traditional knowledge and community support (SHG).

IMPACT

Khelkumari's transformation from a small farmer to a successful farmer yielded several positive outcomes:

Increased Crop Yields: With the modern way of trellis, Khelkumari achieved higher crop yields. In 2022, she produced cowpeas of 150kg per week. This generated additional income for his family of ₹ 4000 per week currently.

Food Security: Enhanced crop production led to improved food security for Khelkumari's family, eliminating any shortages they previously experienced.

Income Generation: Khelkumari's increasing income allowed her to invest in her family's healthcare and education, ending the cycle of poverty. Her annual income was ₹40000, but now she is able to earn ₹80000 in a year. Her earnings will exceed ₹100,000 next year.

Community Upliftment: Khelkumari's success inspired other marginalized farmers in her village to adopt the modem way of trellis installation. This collective effort led to overall agricultural development in the community

Khelkumari 's family is directly involved in farming activities. Her children help her with various tasks, and she dreams of providing them with better educational opportunities. Despite the challenges, Khelkumari remains optimistic about the future and hopes for continued support from both the community and Pradan.

Khelkumari 's case study sheds light on the resilience and resourcefulness of marginal farmers in the face of various challenges. It also emphasizes the importance of community support, sustainable farming practices, and interventions from Pradan in ensuring the livelihoods of farmers like Khelkumari.