ππ«π¨π°π’π§π π π¨π¨π, ππ¨π§ππ’πππ§ππ, ππ§π πππ¬π’π₯π’ππ§ππ
Shanta Raja, a small farmer from Kottathara Panchayat in Wayanad district, Kerala, has been managing her farm independently for the past eight years. After the passing of her husband, she took full responsibility for her 1.5 acres of land and her household. With no children or close family support, farming became both her livelihood and her daily responsibility.
Earlier, like many farmers in the area, Shanta practiced chemical-intensive banana monocropping. The cost of fertilizers and pesticides kept increasing every year, making cultivation expensive and stressful. Though she had heard about natural farming, she lacked the practical knowledge and confidence to shift to new methods on her own.
Her journey began to change when she joined Swayam Shikshan Prayogβs Women-led Climate Resilient Farming (WCRF) initiative. With guidance and training from SSP, Shanta decided to try the WCRF model on a small 25-cent plot during the Kharif 2025 season.
Instead of banana monocropping, she started cultivating 16 varieties of vegetables on this small plot. She used soil testβbased nutrient management, compost prepared at home, and bio-inputs learned through SSP trainings.
Starting with a small plot helped her reduce risk and gradually build confidence.
The change has been remarkable. Earlier, cultivating banana on the same 25-cent plot cost nearly βΉ63,000 per year. Today, her diversified vegetable cultivation costs less than βΉ2,000βreducing cultivation costs by more than 95 percent.
Her vegetable garden now meets most of her householdβs needs, saving around βΉ1,000 every month. She also sells surplus vegetables locally, where people prefer her fresh, chemical-free produce.
βEarlier, farming felt like a burden. Today, even this small plot gives me food, peace of mind, and confidence,β says Shanta Raja.
Encouraged by the results, Shanta now plans to expand the WCRF model to 50 cents next season and gradually convert her entire farm into a natural, climate-resilient farming system.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
13 March, 2026