Essar Foundation has been working with farmers from Chitrakonda block in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on improving agricultural output in the region. The area is predominantly tribal and many farmers who employ rudimentary farming practices are now being informed of newer methods to improve yields. The Foundation also helps the communities get in touch with various government agencies to avail benefits under the schemes for local area development.
Essar Foundation has facilitated a connect between 14 local self-help groups and the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Malkangiri, and helped them avail of power tillers. A programme was held on 29th July 2015 at Chitrakonda to hand over the tillers to each of the 14 groups.
The ITDA power tillers’ scheme requires a self help group to be created, comprising 10 farmers, including a president and a secretary. The power tiller, which is a farm mechanisation tool, will help the processes of seed bed preparation, plant protection, harvesting, threshing, irrigation and so on. The tillers will enable 140 farmers improve farm productivity.
How the Foundation helped
Essar Foundation approached the local farmers and informed them about the scheme and its benefits. The Foundation then facilitated the formation of 14 SHGs across eight villages. It also helped get the SHG registration formalities completed. The Foundation made the beneficiary’s contribution so each SHG could avail of the tiller.
