DHANBAD: With the vision to improve quality of life of the communities around its project site, TATA Power in partnership with AC Nielsen had launched an exclusive ‘Livelihood Intervention Project’ for Maithon Power Limited a Joint Venture Company with Damodar Valley Corporation.
The project aims to develop agriculture productivity in the area from mere subsistence level to commercial farming through harnessing the opportunities presented by favorable topography. Phase 2 of this paddy intervention is about to be completed with High Yield Varieties (Foundation and Certified) of paddy followed by vegetable crops covering 265 Farmers in 365 Acres of land of 14 villages in Maithon.
The overwhelming success (with 48 farmers and 44 acres of land) during pilot year’s intervention, with substantial increase in paddy production by 4 folds (average yield of 17.6 quintal/ acre from per project avg. yield of 4 quintal/ acre), leading to average agriculture income from paddy to Rs 21,120, paved the way for scale up phase.
Increased confidence of the farmers with mega increase in the production resulted in enhanced participation of farmers through cost sharing model (70:30). MPL provided high yielding variety seeds and soil amendments, and farmers shared costs of fertilizers along with crop insurance. Under the scale up phase, MPL distributed 7200 kg of paddy seeds (foundation and certified) among 289 farmers covering 461 acres of land in 14 villages. Along with seeds and fertilizers, farmers were also provided with phase wise trainings and guidance from the agronomist for complete systematic cycle of farming. Foundation Seeds of Sambah Mansuri, Navin, Swarna were recommended by Scientist of KVK as per the topography of land of farmers for getting maximum production of Seeds and Grains.
Phase 2 of the paddy intervention is in the process of harvesting. Mr Praveer Sinha project director eastern region of TATA Power visited the paddy fields site and said that “The challenge was to make agriculture profitable at a place where farming was not thought of as a means of sustenance It’s heartening to note that a sample farm of village measured yield of 17.6 Quintal/Acre, which is 4 times of the average of Jharkhand and equals the harvest of agriculturally advanced state of Punjab Overwhelming response of farmers will go a long for substantial increase in livelihoods through SRI methods of Paddy and off seasonal vegetable farming.”
