TURA: As many as 720 families in 20 villages of Garo Hills have helped turn abandoned jhum fields into organic cultivated fields resulting in a sharp rise in production of fruits and vegetables.
These villages, all part of newly created South West Garo Hills district, were brought under a project called Farm North East (Facilitating Agriculture Rejuvenating Measures) which was initiated by BAKDIL, a Catholic Church-based organization, with financial assistance from NABARD.
“The project focuses on increasing the livelihood and food security of the farmers through multiple cropping. It also ensures that forming of farmers’ club and the promotion of integral farming system remains one of its core agendas,” said Fr. Sunny Joseph Mavelil, director and secretary of Bakdil.
Initiated in 2013, the project has provided training on organic as well as mixed farming to the villagers and helped farmers to take over many of the abandoned jhum fields and restore them back to fertility.
One such example is Garagre village under Zikzak development block where the farmers have helped turn around an abandoned wasteland into farming land using mixed cultivation.
“In the last three years, more than 50,000 fruit bearing plants, including 20,000 mango plants and 15,000 litchi plants have been planted,” informed Garagre village headman Jenon Ch Marak while speaking to visiting journalists.
“We now sell our produce of vegetables and fruits to nearby local markets and are even supplying to Tura,” said Dingme Sangma, member of Digligre farmers’ club.
The villagers have also begun formulating development plans and submitting proposals to different departments. The beauty of the project is that villagers have taken to adopting sustainable agricultural practices including rainwater harvesting and use of organic manure.
