In this race of change, women are writing the story of development in every sphere of life by becoming self-reliant and self-reliant. Similarly, it is proving its mettle in the field of agriculture also.
By overcoming adverse situations with struggle and wisdom, they are becoming a strong link in the family. One such woman is Kalavati Mandal, who is a resident of Shabda village of Phalka block area.
She not only lifted the family out of critical financial condition and debt but is also living a life of self-respect today. Kalavati has taken up dragon fruit cultivation by taking a group loan from Jeevika. He worked hard and sweated in the fields. Due to which the lock of his luck started opening.
Today one and a half to two lakh rupees are being earned in a year. According to female farmer Kalavati, earlier the financial condition of the house was very delicate. The situation was such that people were hesitant in giving loans. When the situation turned from bad to worse, he decided to do something himself.
After which Kalavati took a loan from Jeevika Group and started dragon fruit cultivation. Dragon Fruit’s earnings paid off prior debts and group debts. Now she is taking care of the household expenses and raising her children and educating them.
Learned farming from YouTube
According to Kalavati, she got inspiration for dragon fruit farming from YouTube. He started dragon fruit farming after watching videos from YouTube. Her husband fully supported her in this work. Currently, she cultivates dragon fruit in only 10 katha of land. Along with dragon fruit farming, she also does mixed farming. Fruits are obtained from the plant from April to November.
no shortage of market
Kalavati Devi told that there is no dearth of market for dragon fruit which is rich in medicinal elements. When the fruit is ready, there is no problem in selling it. Fruit traders themselves reach here to make purchases. Currently it is being sold at Rs 300 to Rs 400 per kg.
Kalavati said that the input cost decreases year after year. One and a half lakh rupees were spent on the plant in the first year. In the second year the expenditure reduced to one fourth. The expenditure in the fourth and fifth years is much less than in the first year. This farming gives a profit of 30 thousand to 40 thousand rupees per bag.
For dragon fruit cultivation, normal temperature and fields mixed with loam and sand are required. Which is available here and is suitable for dragon farming. It can be cultivated successfully in Falka block area. Pawan Kumar, Block Agriculture Officer