In Association with:
• Name : Laxmi Bhatu Thakare
• Village : Harpada Post. Sukapur Tal. Sakri Dist. Dhule
• Family members : 6
• Land details : 3 acer
• Source of irrigation : Well,
• Crop Name : Zucchini Rizwan (F1 Gold Diamond) area – 0.25 acre
• Project Support : Drip Irrigation & Poly House Nursery
• Total Family Income : Year 2022-23: Rs. 274300.00
• Total Family income : Year 2023-24: Rs. 524480.00
• Additional Income over last year : Rs. 250180.00
BACKGROUND
Laxmi Tai is residing in Harpada (Sukapur) village of our Sakri Project Cluster. From 2015 Lakhpati Kisan programme was initiated in this village. Village Organization is at the driver’s seat during this project implementation and they generate demand for various planned activities under these program. An Apex institution “Nisargraj Agro Producer Company Ltd.” is located in this village. This cluster is vegetable growing hence most of the farmers are closely attached with FPC. Regular input support available there and regular information transfer is done from this FPC.
As per project schedule we have to establish a hi- tech nursery in Sukapur cluster for promotion of high value agriculture and ensure quality saplings with minimum rates to farmer. VO discussed in their meeting and Laxmitai shown interest to establish a hi tech nursery in her field.
BENEFICIARY INFORMATION
Laxmi Tai is residing in Harpada village, having total 6 members in her family. She has total 3 acre of land. After starting of Lakhpati Kisan programme they diverted towards High Value agriculture. Out of 3 acres they take vegetables on 1-acre land in Kharif and on 2-acre land in Rabbi season including onion of 1.5 acre. Availability of irrigation water is sufficient he cultivates entire area in both season. She likes to grow exotic vegetables like Broccoli in her field in every Rabbi season.
INITIATIVE
It was seen that, in rabbi season they grow Broccoli with flood irrigation method and that requires more irrigation water. Because of that sometimes irrigation water gets short in last 1 or 2 irrigation to Onion and Wheat. That results less production for these crops. Considering this project team and VO recommended Drip irrigation activity support to her to minimize losses of irrigation water.
Mean time her husband got information about new exotic vegetable Zucchini. Which was not cultivating even in Dhule district. That was introduced in Nashik area and most of the farmers got failure in Zucchini cultivation. Our project team try to understand his willingness and started to technical support over that. For the first time he has decided to take this crop only on 10 guntha area (0.25 acer) on trial basis on drip irrigation.
With continuous follow up and supervision of farmers and our project team, this experiment got better result and total income from Zucchini crop reported 3 times more than Broccoli crop even though the area cultivated for Zucchini is half than Broccoli. Farmer now very happy and decided to expand this cropping pattern across the entire project cluster. Accordingly, he is now competent resource person for our team for extension in other villages of project. We have organized frequent exposures to their plot and farmer was seen very happy to share all their experiences to visitor farmers. He is ready to serve for community right from sapling supply to end of the cropping season. 
Considering willingness of farmer, VO has recommended to promote a Poly House Nursery to her during December month. As agreed we have established that nursery and farmer are growing quality saplings for Zucchini and other field vegetables. He has supplied the sapling of Zucchini crop to 4 farmers from project cluster and other filed vegetable saplings to 13 farmers. This is just beginning of their business; it might be increased from next year onwards.
Farmer is guiding all visiting farmers also we have provided printed leaflets of POP for vegetables that was circulated to farmers. For next year project team and farmer decided to expand Zucchini cultivation up to 50 farmers with facility of collective marketing through FPC.
By analyzing total income before and after it was found that her net income from agriculture is increased up to Rs. 524480.00 as compared to Rs. 274300.00. Net increase in income is Rs. 250180.00.
