Mandi farmers see increased income under state diversification project

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 6

Farmers of Chalahar Gulad village in Mandi district have increased their annual income under the HP Crop Diversification Project (HPCDP), running in collaboration with JICA.

Navneet Sood, District Project Manager, JICA, Mandi, said the project was being supported through JICA’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan. The project was implemented in five district — Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una — to increase the production of vegetables through crop diversification. In Mandi district, there were 62 subprojects covering 1,261.46 hectares with assured irrigation.

The ongoing flow irrigation scheme under gram panchayat Naun in Mandi had favourable conditions for the cultivation of cash crops, like tomato, French bean, garlic, cauliflower and peas on commercial scale, he maintained.

“After the intervention of HPCDP JICA, various extension activities, like training programmes and field demonstrations, were undertaken regarding cultivation of different vegetables, including scientific packaging,” Sood said.

He said: “The beneficiaries of the HPCDP, who undertook the various extension activities and training efficiently, benefitted and increased vegetable productivity remarkably. During 2019-20, a total of 44.80 hectares was achieved under Rabi crops, with gross average income per hectare of Rs 2.24 lakh and 49.10 hectares was achieved in Kharif season, with gross average income of Rs 3.19 lakh.”

Sood said a total of 142 farming families undertook the subproject and had grown tomato crop in 34.20 hectares during Kharif 2020. They were producing on an average 140-150 crate per bigha. During the season, the farmers fetch a very good price of their tomato produce, he added.