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Cover Story
December 18 - 24, 2017
Manpur / Bihar
Tech-pro Rani blossoms
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research on all these things. Today, Rani’s knowledge helps not only her but also the other farmers of the surrounding areas to produce better flowers, that too in bulk. Manpur used to be quite backward and poor. The same town has now emerged as the center of flower markets with a tremendous surge in demand. The farmers of Manpur are now challenging the ‘Flower Mandi’ of Kolkata by cultivating hybrid genda flowers. Farming is getting better in lesser time and profits are rising. Alongside the traditional methods, alternative How come? This is the story of Rani Sinha – a small farmer from farming has paved way for extra income with cash crops. Bhasunda village of Manpur (a short distance from This is happening not just in a couple of households, Gaya), Bihar, who once lived the life of poverty but but many more of them. People who had once lived a turned it around with the will to learn of technologies life of poverty like Rani, have now reached the point of prosperity and becoming inspiration and an example for others. Rani and fellow farmers Today, Rani’s chosen this business at knowledge helps not have the right time. The place is also quite suitable, and there only her but also the are a number of pilgrimages other farmers of the including the world-famous temple nearby. The surrounding areas to Vishnu Bodh Gaya temple is in close produce better flowers, proximity too, which makes it good to grow flowers at local that too in bulk level. Apart from this, due to good connectivity to the Howrah market and the railways, produce from here is sold at and compete in the flowers market. Back in her not-so-tech-active days, Rani used good prices. The market in Gaya has become quite to cultivate flowers in the traditional manner. She vast due to the main rail line, from where flowers are struggled to compete with the outside market. After sent to various flower markets including Varanasi, a lot of efforts, Rani learned of technologies from Vindhyachal, etc. Like Rani, another farmer – Bablu, outsiders to improve the growth of flowers. Henceforth, has also emerged in the category of advanced farmers. she adapted the new methods and turned around her He admits that today the area has become a popular farming ways. Post her technological evolution, Rani village of flowers, thanks to the help of Rani. Rani’s now earns thousands of rupees from a small piece of idea is to bring yet more quality in this area, especially land. She estimates that she earns Rs 8,000 per bundle in packaging and in the field of fragrance. Apart from in a month. Flowers are grown three to four times this, it is necessary to bring new seeds and techniques monthly from a wet land, which can amount up to in which Manpur nursery will progress a lot. Imagine more of Ranis and Bablus across the nation, two quintals a month. She knows what kind of variety should be produced, what is the demand, what season and the technological adventure the agricultural sector is good for the harvest, et al. Rani is continuously doing of India will embark upon! hat echoed with the sound of gunshots and bomb explosions, and smelled that of gunpowder once, is now filled with the fragrance of flowers. The land of the Mahatma Buddha, who taught the lesson of non-violence, had long been tarnished with the nefarious acts of the criminals and Naxalites. But serenity has been restored to the land ,with added beauty and fragrance of hybrid ‘genda’.
vegetables, fruits, flowers and plantations. In drip irrigation, water is applied near the plant root through emitters or drippers, on or below the soil surface, at a low rate varying from two to 20 litres per hour. The soil moisture is kept at an optimum level with frequent irrigations. This results in a very high water application efficiency of about 90-95 per cent. Low-cost preservation Owing to inadequate post-harvest storage facilities, India loses over 10 per cent of ~227 million tonnes of foodgrains, 30-40 per cent of ~46.97 million tonnes of fruits and ~88.62
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The degree of farm mechanisation is expressed as a ratio of mechanical power to cultivable unit area, which in India has increased at a very slow pace’
million tonnes of vegetables produced annually. This results in poor return to farmers and high cost to consumers. The storage of fresh horticultural produce is a major challenge in the tropical climate of India. Horticultural crops are considered a viable diversification for the traditional food grain crops owing to their higher per unit returns. Thus, indigenous low cost methods for storage of horticultural crops and food grains are designed to check microbial, enzymatic and oxidative spoilage in the stored/preserved materials. These can be stored safely up to a few months without excessive spoilage. Land improvement Excess water and salts in the soil forming the crop root zone are injurious to plants. Crop yields may drastically reduce on poorly drained soils. Under prolonged waterlogged conditions, the crops eventually die owing to lack of oxygen in the root zone. The main purpose of drainage is to provide a favourable root environment, which is conducive to the proper growth of plants. Artificial drainage is essential in poorly drained agricultural fields to ensure an optimum air-water-salt regime in the crop root zone. GOVERNMENT ON THE ROLL The degree of farm mechanisation is expressed as a ratio of mechanical power to cultivable unit area, which in India has increased at a very slow pace from 0.48 kW/ha in 1975-76 to 1.84 kW/ha in 2013-14. However, from the year 2014-15 to 2016-17, it has increased to 2.02 kW/ha which is mainly due to concentrated efforts for promotion of agricultural mechanisation through various schemes of the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare. The government is promoting