“A small change in farming practices helped her to increase her income”
Shanti Devi hails from Jehli Bigha village in Gaya of Bihar. Her family was highly dependent on use of chemicals for farming their merely 2 acres of land, Shanti was often disappointed with the harm, but could not afford to purchase either a cow or set up vermi compost beds. She approached the Sakhis in her village, explaining her problem. With some free samples she tested them in five vegetable plants in her backyard.
Soon she could see a remarkable difference in the quality of the vegetables and the amount of moisture that was retained in the soil. But her husband was reluctant to try on his entire farm and said, ”this land is our only bread and butter and if we experiment and it fails we will have nothing to eat.”
Shanti, having seen the difference it could bring, was determined to try it and obtained a small piece of land. To start off, she convinced her husband to use 50% of organic manure on their land which was available for Rs 125 for 1 litre vermi liquid bottle. There was a significant difference seen between organic and chemically grown plants, and her vegetables were first to be sold in the market. With her remarkable efforts, even in heavy monsoon her farm stands strong. She was able to earn an additional income of Rs 9000 per season.
“This organic manure has done a miracle on our farm. Today we are able to eat healthy, sell fresh vegetables in the market and earn a decent profit margin. It has also brought a sense of respect and recognition for me in my village,” says Shanti Devi with a smile on her face.