The farmers of Mall and Kakori blocks who lack the resources to grow vegetables are being provided with seedlings by the Central Institute for Subtropical Horticulture (CISH).
Shailendra Rajan, CISH Director said – “approximately 2.5 lakh winter vegetables seedlings are being distributed to 1,000 poor farmers of Mall and Kakori blocks of Lucknow districts to help them achieve nutritional security by growing their own vegetables.”
The seedlings are being made available to the farmers in their villages so that they could grow and understand the importance of Nutri gardens (vegetables are grown in areas surrounding the house for fresh supply to the kitchen for family consumption, with the main purpose to provide the family with the daily requirement with fresh vegetables rich in nutrients and energy). Ranjan said – “On the basis of last year’s experiences, it can be expected that these farmers would produce vegetables worth Rs 30 lakh. They are selling their extra produce in rural markets which provides them with a steady source of income. In the past, nearly 30,000 broccoli seedlings were made available to farmers. These farmers are now interested in cultivating it due to its prevailing higher market price.
Because of its nutritional value and high concentration of bioactive compounds, broccoli is in high demand in Lucknow. It has also become common in villages.”
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) raised awareness about the food and nutrition of farmers at the “Amrit Bharat Mahotsav” program, along with that they also provided inputs like grafted plants and plantlets to farmers. “Presently, farmers are not getting good returns from cauliflower and cabbage production during the peak season” – Rajan added.
Tunes with the theme, farmers and other participants learned about the health benefits of eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. He said – “fruits like mango, guava, and others, which are sources of bioactive substances like flavonoids, polyphenolic acids, and vitamins, lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases.
ICAR-CISH is making efforts for farmers in poor villages to supply high-quality planting materials for various fruit and vegetable crops and assist them in the implementation of best management practices for higher yields, better product quality, and higher profits. Rajan said – “Some of the most successful strategies include meetings between farmers and scientists, exposure visits, supply of critical inputs and sustained farmer encouragement with an emphasis on the youth and women.”
