Modern Farming: Goa’s Visakha adopts modern farming, specializes in SRI technology
Success achieved with modern machines and proper management
If proper management is done with modern machines in agriculture, then good yields can be achieved. Along with this, farmers who have less land, they can get good income by making agriculture a business through other activities related to agriculture and value addition. Vishakha Vithoba Velip, a progressive woman farmer from Goa, is also doing something similar. What advanced machines is she using for modern farming and through what other activities she is making profits? Let us know here.
Agriculture is the main occupation
Quepem Taluka of Goa is mainly known for agriculture. It would not be wrong if this area is called the backbone of agriculture. Various types of crops are grown here. Especially women farmers grow vegetables in both Rabi and Kharif seasons as well as paddy in Kharif season. Vishakha owns 6.5 acres of land, on which she does modern cultivation of paddy and vegetables. Her husband, a teacher by profession, helps Vishakha’s hand in farming.
Help from training
Since 2017 he has participated in several training programs organized by Regional Agriculture Office at Quepem. This gave them information about advanced farming techniques as well as other activities. In the training program, they got information about improved cultivation of paddy/vegetables, making vermicompost, preparation of virgin coconut oil, bee keeping, vacuum packing of raw jackfruit, value addition of locally available fruits and vegetables.
Use of machines
Technology also plays an important role in modern agriculture. With the help of Goa’s agriculture department, he bought several agricultural machinery, including mini tillers, weed cutters, water pumps, sprayer pumps and electric tray dryers. With the help of these machines, farming work is done more efficiently in less effort and time. He has adopted the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method for paddy cultivation.
What is SRI technology? (System of Rice Intensification)
In the SRI method, not much water is required in the field, but it is necessary to maintain the moisture in the field. Paddy can be sown even if there is light moisture. In this method, dry seeds are dispersed in well mixed soil and they are sown well. Care needs to be taken in this method that there is no crack on the ground. The appearance of cracks is a sign that the moisture content in the soil is decreasing. Therefore, if a cracked condition is seen, irrigation should be given to the field.
Cultivate these vegetables
During the Kharif season, Khola cultivates hill vegetables like chillies, pumpkin vegetables, JD Konga, colocasia suran and turmeric. She sells dry khola chillies in superstores. Earlier she used to grow chilli nursery seedlings directly on the ground, but now she is growing hybrid chilli plants in seed trays. She grows hybrid chilli varieties like Nisha and Sitara during Rabi season.
What are the other activities apart from farming?
She has also set up a vermicompost unit and uses the compost made here for vegetable cultivation. Apart from this, she also grows marigold flowers. Vishakha sells vermicompost, vegetables and flowers on the roadside in the local market. She has also formed a colony of 5 bees. She also does value addition work like Jackfruit (Katahal) chips, Kokum solam, Jackfruit and Mango papad, Chilli powder and sells them. Apart from this, coconut brooms are also made and sold in the local market. From all these activities, she earns about Rs 2 lakh annually.
She has become a successful and progressive woman farmer by doing technical and planned farming with the help of Agriculture Department. Now other women farmers of their area are also being motivated to make farming as a commercial activity.
Contact us: If farmers want to share information or experiences related to farming with us, then they can do this by calling us on the phone number 9599273766 or by writing an email to kisanofindia.mail@gmail.com or by sending your recording. Through Kisan of India, we will convey your message to the people, because we believe that if the farmers are advanced then the country is happy.
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