Empowering tribal women farmers with SWI technique @JEEVIKA Umariya

In order to make small and marginalised farmers ( especially women farmers) technically more sound and able to get more production from the small patch of land, in Uchehara JEEVIKA project village at Umariya (Madhya Pradesh), JEEVIKA Umariya (of JDSS-Jabalpur) team has initiated the formation of Farmers club and then provided them “on field training cum actual practice” of sowing the wheat seeds through SWI ( System of Wheat Intensification). The unique part of the process adopted was the farmers club of Uchehara village which has initiated this SWI process is headed by a women and the first such method of SWI has been adopted by a women farmer Ms. Sufal didi. Sufal has a small patch of land of 1 acre and she is actively growing food grain crops and vegetable on it and shown her interest in growing wheat this year with SWI technique. She is the president of ‘Baiga kissan club’ in Uchehara (Malhadu panchayat, Umariya, Madhya Pradesh). Baiga Kissan Club has formed on 18th Dec 2012 and the process of adopting SWI has started from 19th Dec 2012. At present there are 42 members in Kissan Club ( 32 male & 10 female) and now all have started adopting SWI technique for wheat cultivation.

Safal Didi along with her 6 female family members has adopted the following for SWI •Used only 5 Kg Seeds sowing in 1 acre. area, leads to saving of seeds

•2-2 seeds sowing in 8 inch distances

•Before sowing seeds are treatment cow urine and Farrago (Gudd) , tricodarma (an organic input)

With JEEVIKA project we are trying to bring out the identity of women farmers (especially from the tribal belt) of Madhya Pradesh and their contribution in agriculture and its allied activities.

Till now in 15 JEEVIKA project villages at Umariya, 5 farmers club have been formed and all the farmers club are headed by a women farmer from a tribal community. As per NABARD records the farmers club formed in Umraiya district are first of such type of farmers club where women membership and leadership is there. (Source: www.nabard.org)