In a region that had a perennial source of water but no means to use it to irrigate fields, in a region that could not dream of having more than one crop a year, the use of solar energy for lift irrigation has ensured water supply in the fields for irrigation through the year and has transformed the lives of the farmers
In a region that had a perennial source of water but no means to use it to irrigate fields, in a region that could not dream of having more than one crop a year, the use of solar energy for lift irrigation has ensured water supply in the fields for irrigation through the year and has transformed the lives of the farmers
K arkatalan is a small village 15 km from Kasmar block and 5 km from the main Petarbar market in Bokaro district, Jharkhand. The village comprises 40 families, 33 from the Schedule Tribes (STs) and 17 from the Schedule Castes (SCs). The village stretches across a huge geographical area of 286 ha, of which 70 ha are protected forest land and 143 ha are agricultural land, comprising 75 per cent upland, 15 per cent lowland and 10 per cent medium upland and homestead.
In 2007, PRADAN initiated work in Karkatalan village with the formation of three SHGs and some agricultural intervention. Agriculture in this area being mainly rainfed, the major intervention was during the kharif season on SRI paddy and vegetables such as tomatoes, brinjals and creepers. In 2010, SHGs were supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) demonstration fund for Agriculture Production Cluster (APC). APC is an innovative concept, propelling agricultural productivity of a particular geography with the ultimate objective of increasing the profit margin of primary producers.
Areas with similar agriculture practices and cropping patterns are identified for the purpose. Usually, three to four crops are selected and promoted as major crops for a particular area. Based on the production patterns and market study of farmers in a hamlet, 25 to 30 farmers are mobilized into an informal collective.