Community Farming introduced to help local villagers earn good income

The Forest Department has dispatched a pilot venture to energize community cultivation and help expand farm pay of neighborhood locals on the edges of M.M. Slopes Wildlife Sanctuary. 

The venture was launched a week ago at Tulsikere village near to M.M. Hills range and a total of 12 families, who were quick to be a part of the pilot project and showed interest in the plan, are part of it.  

The idea involves giving encouragement to recipients to cultivate vegetables and increase the value of the agri products for which the forest department will coordinate with purchasers. Y. Yedukondalu, Deputy Conservator of Forests, M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary said, "We will give a guaranteed market to the horticultural produce of the farmers of which most of then are tribals, however there are non-tribal families likewise in the plan," 

Chemical fertilizers barred from use: 

The farmers from the village have been told not to utilize chemical composts and pesticides and rather use cow dung manure that is accessible in bounty. The fertilizer will fill in as compost and the thought is to become organic and take up regular farming, said Mr. Yedukondalu. The restriction on utilization of bug sprays and pesticides will diminish the expense of development, he added.  

There are almost 150 to 200 dairy animals in the town and the milk created by them will be utilized for making ghee and desserts, which will be sold through organizations produced by farmers. Despite the fact that the village community is customarily reliant on farming for earning a livelihood, it is impractical and furthermore does not have a business component. This is due to the fact that the farming happens under rainfed conditions in the hilly landscape and the food developed is eaten locally. 

"Solar powered drip or sprinkler water system framework at an expense of rupees 3 lakh will be provided by the forest department in order to guarantee that horticulture could be taken up on a business scale," said Mr. Yedukondalu.

There is cash reserved for activities of the eco-advancement advisory groups of the villages and this sum will be used for subsidizing the undertaking. "Vegetables are in perpetual interest and we will install good networking and promotion strategies and have additionally involved an organization which has guaranteed to buy the produce in mass," he added.  

A part of the land area will be used to develop grassland in order to guarantee fodder for the cows. The concerned authorities affirm this will likewise lessen the act of letting cattle inside the forest area for grazing which will in general corrupt the jungles. In the event that this plan is successful, the format will be recreated in different villages as well.