Jindal Stainless Foundation is working towards doubling farmers\' income with Krishi Unnati

Jindal Stainless Foundation and Gram Unnati Foundation started a project ‘Krishi Unnati’ in order to achieve the mission of ‘Doubling Farmers’ Income’. They started experimenting with Govindbhog aromatic rice variety with a selected number of farmers in the Jajpur district in Kharif season 2019.

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is an agro-ecological methodology for increasing he productivity of irrigated rice by changing the management of plants, soil, water and nutrients. 134 small and marginal farmers residing in 10 villages 8 gram panchayats of Danagsadi & Sukinada blocks of Jajpur district were selected for the trial.

In words of the benefactor, Rebati Mohanta, Jhumpana village.

I am Rebati Mohanta from Jhumapana village. I have been cultivating paddy from 20 years. During 2018, the field staff of Gram Unnati Foundation, an NGO implementing partner of Farmer’s development project of Jindal Stainless Foundation visited our village and trained us on modern paddy cultivation practices. They explained the modern paddy cultivation to save cost expansions and to increase more productivity. We were following the traditional methods such as broadcasting/ sowing the paddy seeds but they taught us to adopt SRI method of cultivation. 

They suggested us to cultivate Govindbhog variety of paddy on a trial basis. Gram unnati field staff demonstrated us the method of preparing Bijamruta and treating seeds applying the organic pesticides. They taught us soil and land preparation, nursery raising marker. How to use mechanical weeder to manage the weeds from the paddy fields. They also taught us how to prepare organic pesticides, manure, herbicides etc using available in our homestead areas/ village for integrated pest management - IPM & INM.

Jindal Stainless Foundation and Gram Unnati has helped us in getting more yield after long years of traditional cultivation and also modern paddy of high value.

This initiative of JSF/GUF has helped me in increasing my income and meeting the needs - like education, health and nutrition of my children. The Govindbhog variety has more than the traditional Swarna variety we were cultivating. This shall be at least two and half times more than Swarna in the market. I hope Gram Unnati shall link us to good buyers who will give us good price. We will keep our support towards the cultivation and value of Jindal Stainless Foundation.

I feel extremely happy to work with Jindal Foundation and Gram Unnati; I feel my lifestyle has been changed due to these I express my heartily gratitude to the Jindal Stainless Foundation and Gram Unnati.