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| Farming precedent by women on edge |
| R Krishna Das / Kolkata/ Raipur Mar 16, 2010, 00:37 IST |
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When Naxalites forced Malco and Pieke to abandon their houses and farm lands, they had never imagined that they would set a precedent in farming.
The two tribal women along with others from the restive villages of Naxal-infested Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh had made all the difference. The women had started mushroom cultivation in a small room at Dantewada's Kasoli relief camp set up by the state government. About eleven women in the camp formed a self-help group and started the project.
Due to Naxal violence, we had to leave our cattle, farm land and house to work as labourer to arrange day's meal, Malko who heads the self-help group, said. Under the special relief scheme, the state government provided them the basic training and facilities to start the project, she added.
The project had not only made the women self-sufficient, but also provided a good source of income, she said, adding that the group had so far saved Rs 15,000 in its account.
When the agriculture department officials started the training session for mushroom cultivation, we thought it would be a difficult task, said Pieke. But now, the women in the camp are doing their job easily and successfully, she added. According to Malko, the centre was producing about three to four kilograms of mushroom everyday. The women had been maintaining the same production for the last six months. During monsoon season, the group sold a kilogram of mushroom for Rs 100 to Rs 150 while it expected to sell the same for Rs 200-250 this summer.
Seeing the response, the women are now planning to expand the project, Pawan Gupta, a district administration official, told Business Standard. If the things materialise as planted, the group will produce mushroom throughout the Year, Gupta added.
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