Raipur, 11 July 2023//Mr. Banas Gangber, a farmer from Kuennar village in Bijapur district, has become prosperous by adopting the drip irrigation method. He uses this method to cultivate vegetables on his farm and is also encouraging other farmers to use this method for farming. He stated that about 4-5 years ago, he used to cultivate vegetables without utilizing the drip irrigation technique, resulting in high labor and fertilizer costs as well as excessive water consumption. But using drip irrigation has provided maximum benefits and increased productivity.
The officials of the horticulture department of the district advised him to install drip irrigation on his farm. After waiting for many days, he installed a drip irrigation system on his farm under the National Agricultural Development Scheme by the Horticulture Department. Farmer Mr. Banas Gangber said that earlier he used to cultivate vegetables on an area of 2 hectares using lift irrigation, in which the cost of fertilizers was very high and water consumption was also high. At present, he is cultivating tomatoes, Laal bhaji, and barbatti on 4 acres using drip irrigation. Earlier, the amount of money he used to spend on the cultivation of vegetables was equivalent to the amount he earned as a profit. But this time he opted for drip irrigation for vegetable cultivation and experienced a substantial increase in agricultural produce. The farmer said that, as compared to earlier, there was a considerable reduction in expenditure, resulting in an increase in his income.
Benefits of Drip Irrigation
Mr. Gangber is reaping the benefits of using a drip irrigation system. With this new irrigation system, there is increased vegetable production on his farm. With the help of the drip irrigation method, water reaches the plants immediately and in the right quantity. Earlier, more water was required for irrigation, and due to over-wetting of the soil, tomatoes, and plants were damaged. However, with the help of drip irrigation, there is hardly any risk of plant damage. With this system, one does not have to make much effort to put fertilizers and medicines in the field. Under this method, inputs like water, fertilizer, pesticide, etc. reach the plant in the right quantity and at the right time, resulting in maximum yield. They sell these vegetables in the weekly Haat Bazars in the village and other nearby places. As a result, their income has improved, and they are living a happy life. Farmers in Chhattisgarh are empowered through farming by fulfilling their dreams and educating their children. By using the drip irrigation method, production in the field has increased substantially, and they are earning a net income of Rs. 1 to 1.5 lakh.
It is worth mentioning that, the micro-irrigation scheme run by the state government in Chhattisgarh is proving to be a boon for farmers cultivating horticulture crops. Under this scheme, farming is done with the drip irrigation method. With this irrigation method, every drop of water is utilized, and more area can be irrigated with less water. Farmers are also getting huge economical benefits from this method.
