Hamirpur farmers sow cash crops, reap gains

Our Correspondent

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Hamirpur, February 13

The crop diversification incentive project being run in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has created a new hope for farmers and gardeners in the district. While farmers faced a crisis of livelihood during the coronavirus outbreak, the JICA project paved the way for self-reliance for many of them. Adopting the mantra of self-reliance, these farmers have earned a good income by growing cash crops in their farmlands with the help of JICA project.

Dile Ram, a resident of Jamali village, says that it was impossible for him to support his family and survive on the income from small landholding. He adds that after the implementation of the crop diversification incentive project in his village, he can now earn sufficient income to support his family.

He says that a lift irrigation scheme has been constructed for about 9.55 hectares of agricultural land in Jamali village and about 35 farming families are directly being benefited from it. After providing irrigation facility, officials of the JICA project and agricultural scientists motivated the farmers of the village to produce vegetables that gave them an income of Rs 1.75 lakh, he adds.

Watan Singh, another farmer of the village, says that with training from the JICA and improved varieties of seeds and plants, they can harvest high yields.

He says that even during this time of crisis, the farmers of the village have planted cucumber, ladyfinger, tomato, bitter gourd and early cabbage. Narendra Kumar, Pritam Singh and Jagdish Chand of nearby villages have also adopted cash crop cultivation.

Vinod Sharma, Project Director of the JICA, says that the agency is providing training and teaching scientific techniques to farmers to help them increase their crop production and thus improving their economy.