KVK Burdwan has been operational since one and half year only
and it started fully functioning after joining of Programme
Coordinator in April, 2007. Time is not adequate enough to
have significant success stories and impacts for the KVK.
Still KVK has put some bold and sincere steps forward to achieve
success in imminent future, couple of which are worthy of
mentioning.
KETEN, the adopted
village by KVK, is one village with fairly diverse agro-ecology
from medium upland to lowland and soil type from sandy to
sandy loam to clay loam. Not surprising the village has a
moderately diverse crop span from cereals to oilseeds and
pulses to vegetables with a tinge of floriculture as well.
KVK explored the possibilities of further diversification
by introducing new crops like jute in pre kharif season when
much of the medium upland with sandy to sandy loam soil remains
fallow. Since jute was an alien crop for the farmers of the
village, they were first motivated towards it’s cultivation
through mass awareness camps, group meetings, farmers’
tour to Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres
and training. Farmers were then selected for frontline demonstration.
Barring few cases most of the farmers generated good earnings
in the range of Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per bigha by selling
of jute fibre, price of which is relatively high as compared
to the conventional jute growing areas like Nadia and Murshidabad.thereby ensuring
grater livelihood security for their families.
Besides, farmers
were shown the way of utilizing the jute fibre in another
possible way – this time through entrepreneurship development
for rural women. Selected farm women and school dropout girls
were thoroughly trained in a 7 day workshop by KVK for preparation
of jute handicrafts from fibre. After completion of the training
2 Mahila Mandals were formed and two members of the groups
namely Namita Lohar and Tanushree Majhi mastered the skills
so well that they started preparing crafts like jute bags,
pen stands and other ornamental items themselves. The crafts
were marketed in the gramin melas, women fairs and they earned
incomes of Rs. 1400 and Rs. 1800 respectively till date, thereby
ensuring grater livelihood security for their families.
