Second Crop Can Revolutionize Farmers’ Livelihood in Odisha

A recent crop survey conducted by Atmashakti, in collaboration with Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha (OSM) and Mahila Shramajeebee Mancha, Odisha (MSMO), has revealed the significant impact of the Odisha government's Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) scheme on second crop farming in the state.

Bhubaneswar: A recent crop survey conducted by Atmashakti, in collaboration with Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha (OSM) and Mahila Shramajeebee Mancha, Odisha (MSMO), has revealed the significant impact of the Odisha government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) scheme on second crop farming in the state. The study covered 4,003 farmers across 13 blocks in Gajapati, Boudh, Nabarangpur, and Deogarh districts in Odisha. It examined six
major seed crops: Green Gram, Black Gram, Arhar, Horse Gram, Mustard, and Chickpea. The study findings revealed that the RKVY scheme not only promoted sustainable agriculture practices but also helped enhance farmer income, sustained soil fertility and added increased protein diets in their food plates. The scheme’s success in promoting second-crop farming had a positive impact on farmers’ livelihoods. Promotion of Second Crop
can bring promising results in improving farmer’s livelihood : Ms. Ruchi Kashyap, Executive Trustee of Atmashakti Trust, highlights the potential benefits of a second crop: “Second crop benefit is equal to the wage of 80 days of work in MGNREGA.

Additionally, this crop requires minimal irrigation compared to the Kharif crop. Therefore, a second crop could be a win-win situation for farmers to improve their livelihood and prevent large-scale distress migration in these areas if the government promotes its cultivation. Secondly, the government must provide seeds before the end of September so the plantation can occur immediately after the Kharif crop. The state government’s goal of reaching 7 lakh hectares of rice fallows with pulses this year is unlikely to be met due to inadequate irrigation facilities. This will prevent farmers from benefiting from agriculture beyond a single crop. To tackle this, Ms.
Kashyap suggests that the department provide dug wells and farm ponds to eligible farmers in converging with the MGNREGA scheme. This would enable them to adopt the second crop and maximize government benefits.

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