With an aim to promote agro- based livelihood and in view of the rainy season, high quality subsidised seeds have been made available at affordable prices to the women of Sakhi Mandal in rural areas of the State. Efforts are being made to strengthen the livelihood of the women by linking them with Kharif crops in this hour of disaster.
Under the Seed Exchange and Distribution Programme and Seed Production Scheme by the Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Corporation, rural families have been provided with improved seeds at a subsidy of 50 per cent through Sakhi Mandal.
About 2259.2 quintals of paddy seeds have been distributed through JSLPS across the State while transplanting and other work is in progress. To promote the cultivation of pulses, 930.3 quintal of arhar, 322.4 quintal urad and about 26.5 quintal moong seeds have been distributed.
In order to fight malnutrition 183.3 quintal and 132.4 quintal seeds of ragi and groundnut respectively have also been distributed through Sakhi Mandal. The women have also been provided with 516.1 quintal of maize seeds.
About 15 lakh families associated with Sakhi Mandal are being connected with agriculture based livelihoods through promotion efforts by the Rural Development Department under the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS). This also includes about four lakh migrants who have returned to the State so that they can immediately take up farming and move towards a stronger livelihood.
Hazaribag based Lakhan Rana who returned from Mumbai during the lockdown said that he and his wife Babita Lakshmi who is associated with Sakhi Mandal are trying their luck at farming. “The seeds of arhar, urad, moong and maize have been made available by JSLPS and with getting the seeds on subsidy, we are able to cultivate pulses also besides paddy.” Lakhan further states that he does not intend to go back to Mumbai and will continue to do farming with his wife.
Khurshid, a resident of Mdhupur, Deoghar, he lost his job as a painter in Kerala. “With shortage of money, fish farming has become a source of income for me. My mother is associated with Sakhi Mandal and I have taken two lakh spawns. Now some money will be earned immediately from fish cumin while more from fish farming,”
Nutrition kits have also been distributed in the State for livelihood promotion and also to fight malnutrition amongst 10,000 highly specialised primitive tribal (PVTG) families. The kits contain seeds of various vegetables that help fight malnutrition.
This initiative will help in the production of Kharif crops and with high quality seeds, farmers will also be benefitted.
