Implicit self-confidence of an old couple

Mahaboobi, a 59 years of old daily wage worker, has changed her life with the adoption of organic farming. Her husband, Mahaboob Basha, a 65 years of old man to a vehement follower of it. Though advance in age desired to live a self-reliant life, the couple didn’t have source of income for their livelihood because of dissertation of their two sons. This poorest of the poor family is living in Tadakanapalli village of Kalluru mandal of Karnool district (A.P). They made their hearts strong and decided to be independent. Meanwhile the door of luck opened a new chapter in their lives through Indira Kranthi Patham (I.K.P.) and tried their luck. They were guided by village activist (V.A.) and cluster activist (C.A.) to adopt non pesticides management (N.P.M.) method. They borrowed Rs.10, 000/- from village organization (V.O.) took an acre of land for lease and started cultivation.

By the encouragement of (V.O.) President, a woman N.P.M. farmer Ms. Jubeda Bee and also with the co-operation of N.P.M. officials made them implicit to cultivate organic farming. Her husband supports in all her endeavors, likewise mother Earth too bestowed them with good crop and yielding. They used traditional method for cultivation by ploughing the land in summer. Soil fertility management, seed treatment, use of ganajeevamrutham etc. were non-negotiable.

The land was divided into two parts. They cultivated leafy vegetables in ½ acre and in the remaining foster vegetables with 10 guntas model. They planted lady’s finger, maize as boarder crop and castor as trap crop for the protection of main crop. The income from the sale of leafy vegetables was very promising. With renewed energy, they continued to nurture their crops and were waiting to get good yield from the other vegetable crops. As they have waited, their dreams were shattered by the disastrous floods which washed away the crop. Never the less, grit to overcome the loss had been paid by them.

Again they borrowed Rs.10, 000/- from the V.O. towards the lease and agricultural inputs to cultivate groundnut.  They ploughed the land in summer and applied 2 quintals of neem cake in the first week of June, then sowed the seeds. Like earlier, they planted inter crop, boarder and trap crops to raise their economic self-dependency. Thus organic farming has invigorated them and they toiled with determination.

They owe their success to mother Earth for blessing them with good yielding and raising their standard of living than the cruel which the couple had experienced from their children. They have no other obligation except agriculture but regularly attend the V.O. meetings like well-disciplined school children every month on 12th and 26th also on 6th and 20th for  self-help group (S.H.G.) meetings memorably. In the meeting they allocate and discuss about N.P.M. method of cultivation and its earnings.

In the past, when they were working as daily labourers it was hard to have both their ends meet.

Approximately the golden couple had gained the total income of Rs.20,000/-  This amount was earned as net income only from the main crop.  Thus it was proved by the old couple that one who trust the nature and the mother earth never fails.

Poverty Discouraged but Farmer’s Field School Encouraged

There was a village called Ganapavaram which is at Rajupalem mandal in Guntur district, A woman farmer named Chokka Nirmala who is 26 years and her husband Veeraiah of 31 years have 2 sons. The elder son is 11 years and youngest is 9 years of ols and are under education. They were depending on daily wages for their living.

The Mandal Samakhya decided to share 5 acres of barren land with a bore well facility which was red soil of pebbles and weeds. This barren land was allotted to ten (10) POP families ½ acre of and each. Being a member of SHG she learned about NPM programmes. In meetings accordingly she received ½ acre of land for cultivation in organic method.

The NAGALI editorial team visited the fields of POP farmers along the cluster activist Ms.Nirmala. When the team reached Chokka Nirmala’s field which the barren land has turned into fertile were surprised and exclaimed which they couldn’t believe their own eyes by seeing the excellent crop. She was harvesting with 8 labourers was fourth crop.  In the past she had raised good incomes from other three (3) crops too.

Let us look into the details of income and expenditure.

Crop-1

Crop-2

Crop-3

Crop-4

The land lease was Rs.5000/-. As per the calculations she earned the net income of Rs.68,100/-.  Putta Puchaiah the neighboring farmer was listening to the conversation. The team asked him whether the statement of Ms.Nirmala was true or false thinking that he is a NPM farmer. He said that her statement was true, why is that you didn’t adopt NPM method? He was irritated and blamed his father and said that his father used the excess of chemical-fertilizers and pesticides. He spent for one and half  11/2  acre of land around Rs.30,000/- but his expected income didn’t cross to Rs.40,000/-. He strictly claimed that here after he will enroll himself into NPM method. Remaining their effort the team congratulated Chokka Nirmala for success in adopting organic farming.

Source: Indian Grameen Services