Success Stories

Cash flow was always a problem for Achhe Lal Thakur, a farmer from Hirapatti Basuwaria village, 19 km from Motihari, a town in north-western part of Bihar. He used to cultivate wheat and paddy before becoming a shareholder of a Farmer Producer Company. Achhe Lal from 2017 is being associated with a FPO Champaran Krishak Producer Company Limited. The farmer has total 12 members in his family including 7 women. The family’s livelihood is generated by farming land of 15 kathha in Chiraiya block.

Before being associated with the CHKPCL and its supporting organisation the quinquagenarian farmer’s field was only limited to wheat and rice, but after becoming the shareholder he has started growing black gram and chick pea in his field and he has been disseminating knowledge on the farm mechanization in his farmer group called ‘Mandal Kisan Vikas Samuh’.

Now Achhelal from last three seasons of Rabi has been growing pulses on his field. In 2017 he produced 80 kg of black gram on 0.25 acres of land, whereas in 2018 he produced 90 kg of chickpea on 0.125 acres of land. In 2019 he produced 100 kg of lentil on his land.

In conversation with Achhelal, he said, “Earlier we used to buy pulses from market, which included extra cost from our daily expenses, but after growing pulses on my own land, I grow stock for whole year in one season.”

“Due to the PoP provided by Kaushalya Foundation my produces are healthy and input cost is reduced so I am benefitted on two sides i.e nutrition and no extra expense on buying pulses,” said Achhelal showing his agricultural field. He further added that I have stored black gram and chickpea for own purpose but sold the lentil which gave me a good return.

Further he shared that after prodding from the project he feels more empowered and confident of growing pulses on his agricultural field. He also added that the regular handhold support and dissemination of knowledge had never put my moral down.