Plant Nursery : This nursery of Rajasthan solved many problems of farmers simultaneously, model nursery for other villages
On the basis of demand, the nursery prepares seeds and plants of fruits, vegetables and spices
Rajasthan has 7.7 million cultivable land. The area under irrigation has increased by 140 percent in the last three decades. The irrigation facilities have increased the inclination of farmers towards horticulture and cultivation of trees along with many crops. Due to this the demand for plants has also increased. To meet this demand, model nurseries were established in the state. Many farmers got employment and people are getting good quality saplings from this nursery.
Farmers had to go away
Due to the lack of quality and disease free plants at the local level, people doing kitchen gardening and farmers had to go far to buy good plants. At present, the number of registered nurseries in the state are able to meet only one-third of the demand. For the rest one has to depend on the unorganized sector. To solve this problem, Jodhpur-based ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) developed a model nursery in an area of 0.02 hectare in Paldi Ranawatan village of Bhopalgarh tehsil.
Group of farmers formed
The institute formed a group of 10 farmers, which included both men and women. These farmers were given skill training on commercial nursery management. Cutting, budding and grafting techniques, pest and disease management were explained. Marketing methods were also taught to the group. Apart from this, they were also provided with nursery equipment like fencing, shed house, mother plant, irrigation facilities and other inputs like nursery equipments, seeds, nursery media, manure, poly bags, protray.
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Increase in income
The members of the group started preparing seeds and saplings of fruits, vegetables and spices in the nursery based on demand. This doubled the income of the members of the group in just two years. He prepared about 77,055 saplings in the model nursery. About 6 lakh 83 thousand rupees were earned by selling it. Babu Devi, a female member of the group, used to earn Rs 20 thousand a year before the project started. Now she is earning an annual income of 40 thousand rupees. This is their income for 120 days. In today’s date every member of the group is earning Rs 30,000 to 40,000 by working 100-150 days.
Helping to increase employment
With the opening of nursery, employment opportunities have increased at the local level. Enthused by the success of the nursery, the group members are planning to expand it further. Members have also been taught about the use of social media and other platforms for selling. Due to this they are getting good response not only from the surrounding villages but also from other districts.
Nursery became a model for farmers
The nursery started in Paldi Ranavatan village with the initiative of ICAR has now become a model for the surrounding villages. Establishing such nurseries in rural areas will not only solve the problem of unemployment, but can also solve a big problem like stopping the migration of workers.
Establishing nurseries also helps in preventing soil erosion and fertilizing the land. The sale of about 72,917 good quality plants has increased the area of land to 365 hectares under the Advanced Agro-Forestry System in Rajasthan. Under the agro-forestry system, many trees and plants are planted along with the crops.
In a desert region like Rajasthan where agriculture has always been challenging due to water scarcity, the problem of farming can be solved by developing irrigation facilities and ensuring availability of quality plants.
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