Since childhood, Divyang Leela Shahi has made agriculture as her source of income by doing farming with scientific technology

Divyang Leela Shahi: There are some people who keep cursing the circumstances and luck for their failures and bad situations and some are such that with their hard work and perseverance, they change even the most difficult situations and become an example. Something similar has been done by Leela Shahi, a differently-abled woman living in Asaun village of Bageshwar district. With the help of farming, animal husbandry and mushroom production, she not only improved the economic condition of her family, but now she is also inspiring other women to take up farming with scientific techniques. 

Benefits of farming with scientific technology 

Leela Shahi is disabled since childhood and after her father’s death at her early age, difficulties came in her life. But she did not succumb to the situation and despite the difficulties, she completed her studies through distance education. Her family’s main source of income was agriculture, so she was associated with agriculture from the very beginning. Her family had only 0.16 hectares of land for cultivation, on which her family used to do animal husbandry along with the production of vegetables and fruits, but due to traditional method, there was not much income.

Help received from Krishi Vigyan Kendra 

Divyang Leela Shahi is a progressive woman farmer and she always took part in training and awareness programs related to agriculture. This kept her getting new information. After coming in contact with Krishi Vigyan Kendra, she got information about new farming techniques and improved seeds. Then she left the traditional method and started farming with scientific technology. Soon they also got to see the result of this. Now along with cultivating vegetables, she also grows and sells saplings. Apart from this, she is also doing button mushroom production at home.

Vegetable cultivation in polyhouse 

Divyang Leela Shahi cultivates vegetables in a polyhouse. With the help of Horticulture Department, she has built a polyhouse in her farm, in which she is growing vegetables like cucumber, capsicum, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage. She uses good quality seeds.

Production of improved varieties 

She grows crops like Paddy, Soyabean, Wheat, Madwa, Lentil etc. VL 154, 62, 65 variety of paddy, VL 957, 829, 953 of wheat, VL 126 of lentil, VL 47, 65 of soybean etc. are producing improved varieties.

Improved seeds, sowing at the right time, sowing in line, using the right amount of manure and following the advice of experts, they are getting more yield. Seeing their success, other women farmers of the area have also been inspired to adopt scientific techniques and Leela is working to make them aware.

Also adopted animal husbandry

She has kept two cows and buffaloes of cross breed, from which she earns extra income by selling milk in the dairy. She is associated with the WhatsApp group of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, from which she keeps getting information about agriculture as well as information related to animal husbandry like animal care, fodder management etc.

Increase in income by farming with scientific technology 

Annual income of about Rs.36 thousand is being earned from vegetable production, Rs.1,01,500 from animal husbandry, Rs.6,800 from crop, Rs.37,500 from mushroom production. That is, she is earning Rs 1,81,800 annually, which was earlier only Rs 66,400.

She is not only a progressive farming woman but she has also emerged as a social worker in her field. She also work to make women farmers aware by motivating them to form groups, by linking them with advanced techniques of agriculture, schemes, training programs, seminars etc.

Leela Shahi has been awarded ‘Kisan Shree’ in 2018-19 at block level and ‘Kisan Bhushan’ award in 2020-21 at district level for her contribution to agriculture.