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| Bringing sustainability in cold arid | | KVK-LEH ACKNOWLEDGED BY PRIME MINISTER IN HIS ‘MAN KI BAAT’ | | Dr. Parveen Kumar, Dr. Feroz Din Sheikh
It was indeed a defining moment for entire team of Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Leh, when efforts of KVK-Leh in promoting sustainability in the cold arid region of Ladakh were acknowledged by none other than Hon’ble Primeminister of the country Sh. Narendra Modi and the occasion was his grassroots connect programme ‘Man ki Baat’ on Feb. 28 this year. Hon’ble PM referred to a success story of Urgain Phuntsog from a village Gya about 70 kilometers away from Leh town on Leh-Manali highway. While connecting with the masses, Hon’ble Primeminister mentioned how with the help of Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Leh and utilizing his traditional knowledge, Mr. Urgain with his dedication and passion for agriculture overcame all odds. He is successfully farming twenty varieties of different crops, fruits and vegetables in his village. All this is produced organically by him and he is also encouraging others in his own and adjoining villages to follow traditional organic farming techniques. This rare distinction is being achieved by him in a village that stands at a height of about 14,000 feet above mean sea level and where the temperature during winters dips down to as low as -30 degrees Celsius. At such a harsh temperature and under such limiting conditions where eve human survival becomes a challenge, Urgain has proved it otherwise.
Elaborating further, Dr. Parveen Kumar, Subject Matter Specialist (Ag. Extension) at KVK-Leh said that Urgain Phuntsog, a farmer adopted by KVK-Leh is from Gya Village in Leh district of the Union Territory of Ladakh. The village falls in Block Kharu of Leh district. Phuntsog lost his father very early in his childhood and being an elder of all had to take care of his family. He also had to leave the government job owing to his family obligations. At a height of 14,000 feet and in harsh climatic conditions where farming is confined to a few months in the year he has an integrated farming system. His integrated farming system consists of cereal crops, vegetables including high value ones, livestock, mushroom production, vermi compost. The unique feature of his farming system is that he uses output of one component as input of other component thereby reducing his cost of cultivation and raising his income. He is popularly known as ‘Mitti ka Aadmi’ in the village. Everything from eatables to wearable he largely produces at home. He uses compost and vermi compost to produce everything organic.
From two kilograms of vermiworms that were provided to him by KVK-Leh a couple of years back, Urgain successfully reared them to have more than four quintals of them which he sold at rupees three hundred per kilogram. This enabled him to earn more than one lakh rupees from vermiworms only. He has about 250 sheep and goats and thus animal dung is no problem for him. For his innovative farming techniques, Urgain has also been awarded many times by many institutes and different agencies and various Non governmental agencies. Last year he was bestowed with first position under the theme Diversified Farming System Competition in the 27th ‘E’ Ladakhi Kisan-Jawan-Vigyan Mela organized by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) Leh, an institute under the ministry of Defence, Government of India. Recently the administration of union territory of Ladakh had also given state award to Urgain Phuntsog on republic day.
Dr. Feroz Din Sheikh Programme Coordinator at KVK-Leh spoke of the various initiatives of KVK-Leh that aim at promoting sustainability in the region and that have augmented farm income in this cold arid region. For Doubling Farmers’ Income and to make Ladakh totally organic by 2025 under Mission Organic Development Initiative, Krishi Vigyan Kendra-Leh has given many interventions to the farming community of this region. Buckwheat as a second crop is being revived in lower belts of the district. It is a highly remunerative crop but due to one or the other reason in the recent times the crop is witnessing a decline in the area under it. KVK-Leh has taken up its revival by providing buckwheat seeds to the farmers and is also undertaking processing of buckwheat. The market price ranges from 120 to 150 per kilogram enabling the farmers’ of the region to augment their income.
In this region, owing to freezing temperatures in the winters agricultural activities are confined for only five to six months. KVK-Leh promotes the use of low cost protected technologies like the trenches, green houses, mulching with black polythene film, harvesting nets, pheromone traps. All these have proved to be a boon for the farming community. Due to mulching and low cost tunnels for vegetable cultivation the production of different vegetables in the farmer fields have gone up. The harvesting nets provided to the farmers have also helped them to maintain the quality of fruits during plucking. The pheromone traps provided to them for monitoring codling moth population has also effectively checked their infestation. For recycling of their household and farm waste into high quality organic manure, KVK-Leh is encouraging the use of compost and vermi compost by providing earthworms (Eisenia Foetida). The use of this organic manure has also reduced the cost of cultivation of the farming community as these are used as a substitute for harmful chemical fertilizers. Besides this, KVK Leh has also provided vermi beds to number of farmers in different villages of Leh district under Tribal Sub Plan and its various other schemes. This initiative has brought considerable area in this district under organic cultivation. KVK-Leh is also promoting mushroom cultivation in this region. Regular training programmes are being conducted for the youths, farmers and farm women of the region
on mushroom cultivation. Many farmers are now growing mushroom even in freezing temperatures and this is also adding to their income. Apricot harvest nets help farming community to maintain the quality of their produce thereby ensuring remunerative prices for them. These have helped reduced the drudgery among the farming community. The smart plastic bottles have been provided to them for storing apricot oil. These help them to maintain the quality of produce thereby ensuring good remunerative price of the produce. KVK-Leh specially focuses on farmers’ mobilization. This is done by organizing the farmers into various groups.
KVK-Leh is emphasizing on the use of various Resource Conservation Technologies to conserve the fragile ecosystem of the region. Regular soil testing and providing Soil Health Cards, Drip irrigation, Weather based agro advisories, promotion of homemade pesticides for diseases and insect pest management and control are being provided and promoted to and among the farming community of this region. |
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