Malkangiri: Chitrakoda block in Malkangiri district has always grabbed media attention due to Maoist violence. Here is a piece of good news from the region.
About 30 tribal women have become self-reliant by successfully cultivating onions without using chemical fertilizers. By growing organic onions, they have set an example for other farmers who have lost hope in the farming because of falling profits, a report said.
This is a good news for two reasons: One, onions bring tears to consumers periodically – and frequently – due to soaring prices and farmers in Odisha do not produce onions enough to meet the demand.
The state government gets the bulbs from other states and their prices depend upon demand-and-supply mechanism and the overall production in the country. Consumers still remember shelling out Rs 80 a kg of onions, one of the food essentials.
Women affiliated to Mahila Kalyan Samiti have made onion cultivation a profitable farming for the last two years in Chitrakonda panchayat with the help of Madhayamrel Sitapada Pariba Udpadankari Mahila Samabaya Limited, a cooperative society.
In 2016-17, 80 women farmers had made good profits by producing five to 12 quintals of onions from less than 50 decimal of land each in RSC-11, Narsingpur, Goudaguda and Thatamatanguda villages under Nuaguda and Doraguda panchayats.
In the current year, enthused by the success, the Integrated Tribal Development Agency and the horticulture department provided more onion seeds to farmers at subsidised rate.
Over 150 women farmers have produced 50 to 60 tonnes of onion in RSC-11, Narasinghpur, Goudaguda, Nuaguda, RSC-10, RSC-6, Baiguda and Ghagadbandha. Each of them has produced five to 16 quintals.
In RSC-11 alone, 30 women farmers have produced over 25 tonnes of onion. If it is sold for Rs 15 a kg, they will get Rs 3.75 lakh.
Now, a plan is under way to set up a storage centre for onions. The society has applied to the deputy director of agriculture and the BDO for a storage facility.
The BDO has allocated Rs 5 lakh to build a storage facility under the MGNREGS. Farmers said if their produce is stored for next two to three months or more, they will double their profits from onion sales due to high demand in the market.
Meanwhile, the society has announced that Rs 8,000 will be given to the best farmer among 300 who can achieve the highest yield per acre.
