Vegetable cultivation changed life – Premi Garasia

Smt. Premi Garasia w/o Shri Rama Ram a tribal lady farmer of village – Jhamar (Abu Road) owns 1.0 ha irrigated cultivable land and grew maize and wheat for dietary requirement and sold surplus in the market. From existing cropping system, she hardly earned Rs. 21000-25000/- per annum. This income was not sufficient to satisfy her family’s requirement.  Her husband was suffering from serious disease and she spent all the income on treatment of her husband and also borrows money from money lender. She was debtor but now she is role model of village- Jhamar. After NAIP intervention, in zaid 2008 she took okra in 0.2 ha and bottlegourd in 0.05 ha area.  She sold vegetables in Abu Road Vegetable Market and earned Rs. 60000/- in that year. By this earning in lean season she became more enthusiastic and decided to cultivate vegetables round the year for more economic return and prosperity. She took 0.5 ha land on lease in the village. She cultivates vegetables in 1.0 ha area and put 0.5 ha area for cereal crops, fennel and castor.  In these crops she also adopted hybrids and HYV’s. In her words “I earn net income of more than Rs. 3.0 lakh per annum.  Today I am prosperous and have prestige in Garasia Community. I spent Rs.3.0 lakh on treatment of my husband and married daughters. I received ATMA award also. NAIP sub-project changed my life.” She also motivated neighboring farmers for vegetable cultivation and promised them that she will market their vegetables at higher price. By her efforts all the 112 farm families of Jhamar village are growing vegetables round the year. Smt. Premi   procures vegetables from farmers and sells in Abu Road Vegetable Market. She developed a market channel.  She purchased 2 mobile phones in the year 2009, one for her and another for her daughter. As per demand in the market she call her daughter for particular vegetable and her husband and daughter carries vegetables from the Jhamar village and fetch good price of vegetables.  By this way farmers of Jhamar are also getting higher price of their produce.