Mrs. Kala, 34 years of age, resides in Hegganduru village, Hunsur Taluk, with her husband, Mr. Suresha, aged 43, and their daughter and son. With 18 years of experience in agriculture, Mrs. Kala owns 4 acres of land where she cultivates Maize, Chilly, and Tobacco. Agriculture sustains her family, but she had been heavily dependent on fertilizers and chemical pesticides.
In 2021, ODP animator Miss Susheela visited her and encouraged her to join the FPO. Mrs. Kala became a member and underwent training on organic farming facilitated by ODP. She gained insights into soil and water analyses, and the benefits of organic farming. Recognizing her potential, she was selected as a model farmer and made a local contribution of 2500 rupees.
Following the guidelines, Mrs. Kala had her soil and water tested by ODP, and sought recommendations from the agriculture officer at RSK. Implementing their advice, she began using micronutrients, farmyard manure, organic manure, and pesticides on her Chilly crop. This resulted in a profit of 8500 rupees in 10 gunta of land.
Impressed by her progress, Ms. Susheela encouraged Kala to apply for a district-level award to the Extension Education Unit in Naganahalli. After thorough verification, a technical team visited Mrs. Kala’s land and home to confirm her organic cultivation methods and utilization of available schemes. Consequently, she was honored as the “Taluk Level Progressive Women Farmer-2022” at the Krishi Mela in GKVK, Bengaluru.
Mrs. Kala noticed that organic farming reduced expenses while improving soil health and yield. She credited her newfound knowledge to the training provided by ODP and expressed gratitude to ODP for their support during difficult times. She now actively encourages other farmers to join FPOs and adopt organic farming practices for enhanced soil health and better yields.
