Watermelon Cultivation brought SMILE:
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| Watermelon ready to sell in the local market by SHG. |
The size of your success is measured by the strength of your desire and the size of your dream and how you handle disappointment along the way. Yes!!!
The stories of the self-help groups’ women in the tribal areas of Odisha have made it possible, where the place where hardly women are recognized for any work other than their house chores activities. Now, the SHG women have stepped forward for cultivating watermelon and making themselves independent.
On 25.01.2020, the Watermelon Seeds (Variety-Augusta) was distributed to three SHG Groups of Dasamantpur Block under ATMA Demonstration. The group was selected with the help of Partner NGO-CYSD under the Special Programme on Promotion of Agriculture Production Clusters (APC) in tribal regions of Odisha.
- Deomali Producer Group, Lukumari, Podagada GP
- Maa Srabamangala Producer Group, Malibisali,Nandigaon GP
- Tara Tarini Producer Group, Garadamunda, Gadiaguda GP
Each group was provided with 1 kg of watermelon seeds.
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| Seed Distribution to Tara Tarini Producer Group, Garadamunda, Gadiaguda GP |
When we entered to Malibisali, Nandigaon, we found a field where there were no irrigation facilities although there was a river passing by. CYSD team facilitated and worked with the farmers to bring water to this field. After discussing with Odisha Lift Irrigation Corporation, a river lift project was initiated in this field under the Cluster River Lift Project. The farmers were very happy at this moment.
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| Seed Distribution Maa Srabamangala Producer Group, Malibisali , Nandigaon GP |
As they were first to do Watermelon Cultivation in their village, technical support was given to them by the Department of Agriculture. They initiated their work by 2 deep plowings and added Farm Yard Manure treated with Trichoderma for controlling soil-borne fungus. They maintained spacing plant to plant and row to row at 120cm X 30 cm.
To ensure healthy crops they never missed the hand weeding of weeds and timely irrigation schedule. Really the farmers have put their best effort to bring out the ultimate goal.
After 90 days, the real fruit came into the picture and the happiness was uncountable as they saw the sweetness of watermelon in their village.
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| A farmer carrying watermelons for selling in the market |
It was the time of the COVID-19; it was a little tense in the beginning but managed to sell all the watermelons in the local market and also in the nearby villages. Each member of the groups could earn around Rs.25-30 thousand rupees. These watermelons turned their livelihood during COVID-19 as there was no other source of income. They were very happy to see the fruit and forgot the hard work they had put into this activity.
Seeing their success and happiness, the other women of the village expressed their interest to cultivate watermelon in the coming year.
This year when we went to do the watermelon demonstration in other villages, the farmers recalled the sweetness of watermelon that they had tasted during COVID-19 and the willingness to do was multifold. Hope to bring more Smile….
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| Newspaper Clip mentioning their success in Water Melon Cultivation |