Mrs. Runu Murmu, has emerged as one of a woman lead farmer
in Panjan village in Titabor Block under Jorhat district of Assam. She is 35
years of age and her husband is a private school teacher who is the main bread
earner for the family. They have been blessed with four children two sons and
two daughters. Her early married life was confined to household chores with a
small kitchen gardening. In the initial stage of her kitchen gardening, she was
using chemical fertilizer and pesticide extensively to get more and rapid productivity
for the family’s self consumption in a small area of about 1 bigha.
Runu in Her Farm |
However, after attending numbers of training programs
organized by Seva Kendra Dibrugarh (SKD) and farmer’s club meetings, her
interest on organic farming, integrated pest management and her own traditional
knowledge have increased. It is since their children have also grown up and started
going to school. Her husband being a private school teacher found very
difficult with little salary to maintain both the family and for the education of
their children. This led her to start agriculture as part of earning and
supporting for the family.
Runu in Her Farm |
Now she gave up all the uses of chemicals and pesticides in
her garden since 2014. She is using only cow dung and other natural composed to
manure the plants. She planted seasonal
vegetables like jika, cucumber, ladies finger, ginger, rice gourd, bitter
gourd, beans, pumpkin etc. Today she is practicing multiple and seasonal
cropping in her small land of about 1 Bigha. Currently beside her self consumption,
she sells her organic products weekly. She has created link with many
shopkeepers with whom she sells her bulk products at wholesale rate and
averagely earns around Rs. 10000 per month seasonally. With this income, she is
supporting the family expenses and for the education of their children. Good
production has also increased her interest and passion for agriculture that she
has added another plot of land close to her land for further cultivation. Today
she has inspired many farmers in promoting organic farming.
Runu Showing her Farm to Caritas India Officials |
The officials from
Caritas India have also visited her vegetable farm and witnessed her garden.
They have immensely praised and appreciated her agricultural works. They also
advised her to motivate other farmers especially to women farmers. Thus she has
become a woman lead farmer in the village. She said, “Organic products saistho karone bhaal aru income barhe, aamak aji
aidor e keti kora ussith-saistho aru poribhekh karone,” meaning organic products are good for health & environment
& raises income, today we must cultivare in this way for better health
& environment. She also sincerely thanks
to Seva Kendra Dibrugarh (SKD) for their support, guidance and appreciation.
Contributed by: Cornelius Minj, SKD, Dibrugarh, Assam
Edited By: S.L. Peter, Caritas India, Guwahati
I salute her, this is very good initative taken by her.
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