Sowing Hope For Marginal Farmer: A Story From Ground of A Beneficiary Who Sowed Pigeon Pea After Floods
Heavy rainfall and unprecedented floods have caused damage to standing crops in a setback to farmers bracing for the busy agricultural season amid the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown that have already reduced the availability of the land labour and other resources.
Dhodha Paswan, a 65-years-old farmer, and his family of 12 members from Bahuarwa village of Chiraiya block in East Champaran district are totally dependent on agriculture produces for their livelihood but the flash floods have carried all their rice plants leaving them in despair. In the second wave of floods his cucumber and radish crops were also washed away.
The project staff who came to know about the miserable condition of the marginal farmer immediately went to discuss the situation of the agricultural field and suggested that there is still time to sow pigeon pea in the farming land, which is suitable for the farming condition of the field. Project staff with the intervention of FPO CHKPCL provided Dodha Paswan with 3 kg of pigeon pea NDA-1 seeds for the sowing purpose in 5 kathha of lands. Talking about his grief the beneficiary said, “I have taken loans for sowing the pigeon peas, but seeing the growth I am hopeful of paying all my debts from the produce.”
Dodha Paswan with KF’s project staff on his farming land in the month of August at Bahuarwa village in Chiraiya block, East Champaran district. (R) The beneficiary on his field in the month of September.
“It is truly said that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and KF proved that to me and my family. We were really in distress after our farming land submerged due to the floods, but now after sowing the pigeon pea seeds provided by the support of KF the plants are in healthy condition,” said sexagenarian farmer, who was on daily visit of his pigeon pea field.
He further said that due to KF’s intervention the idea came in his mind that instead of keeping the fields vacant he can go for the pigeon pea farming.
On asking about the KF intervention Dodha said that, “The organisation has been really supportive in the process of sowing the fields. They informed me about the technique of sowing and also helped in the agricultural practices during the farming.” He also informed that the staff has promised Dodha that the project will also help him in near future for the procurement and extension services.