THE PEOPLE in my village thought I had gone mad when I decided to give up maize and grow wild marigolds in 2017,” says Pawan Kumar, a farmer in Himachal Pradesh. “The rebukes grew stronger when the flowers failed to bloom the first season,” recalls the 45-year-old resident of the backward Talla village in Chamba district that does not even have a motorable road. Today, Pawan has become a role model for most farmers in the district. He earns a phenomenal `1.2 lakh a hectare—which is roughly five times what he would earn from maize cultivation. Similarly, Ganesh Prashar from Band Kadian village in Kangra district is reaping the benefits of lemongrass which he started growing just four years ago. “I started farming in one bigha (6 bigha is a hectare) and today I am cultivating 46 bighas. I have also formed a society of 25 farmers, 16 of whom have already shifted to lemon grass cultivation,” he says.
Denne historien er fra November 01, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra November 01, 2019-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
