The record crop of organic radish has changed the fortunes of farmers in Chak Shatrimble village of Udhampur. With the help of irrigation facilities and government schemes like PM-KISAN, thousands of farmers including farmer Mulakh Raj are able to grow crops throughout the year.
Chak Shatrimble village, which once struggled with dry fields and lack of irrigation, is today emerging as a new model of organic farming. The abundant yield of radish from the land here has not only brought a glow of relief on the faces of the farmers, but has also proved that if given the right support, the picture of farming can be changed even in the hilly areas. The success of village farmer Mulakh Raj is the biggest example of this.
From struggle without water to success of organic farming
Farmer Mulakh Raj of Chak Shatrimble village says that his farming journey was not always so easy. He said, “Earlier there was no irrigation facility here. Due to lack of water, it was difficult to do farming throughout the year.” But this situation changed when the Agriculture Department got a borewell installed in his farm under a government scheme. Now they get water throughout the year and are able to grow seasonal vegetables continuously.
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Economic strength received from PM-KISAN scheme
Mulakh Raj said that the Rs 6,000 he receives annually under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme helps him a lot in managing farming inputs. This amount helps in meeting the needs of seeds, fertilizers and other needs every season.
Government help reached 54,787 farmers
Udhampur Chief Agriculture Officer Harbans Singh said that the department is continuously running awareness campaigns to strengthen farming in the district. He said, “We are making farmers aware about the PM-KISAN scheme and even helping them in filling the forms. 54,787 farmers of Udhampur district are taking benefit of this scheme. This scheme has become a ray of hope for the farmers. Today, farmers are able to grow many types of crops in the year.”
Organic farming opened doors to new possibilities
With the help of government schemes and hard work of farmers, a new story of farming is being written in Chak Shatrimble village. Farmers like Mulakh Raj are not only adopting organic farming, but the increase in income and self-confidence from it has brought new life to the agricultural economy of the village.
The bumper production of radish in the village is an indication that if given the right support, farmers of hilly areas like Udhampur can also move forward on the path of sustainable and profitable farming.
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