Vikas Bharti
ECOFRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT
Gumla District, Jharkhand
Like many tribal farmers, Dhuri Bhagat struggled to
feed his family. He wanted to buy better rice seed,
but he would have to borrow from an exploitive
moneylender.
Then he joined the IDRF seed program. He learned
how to produce his own quality seed which yields
TWICE AS MUCH RICE PER ACRE. He sells the
seed to cooperative run by our partner Vikas Bharti.
HIS INCOME HAS TRIPLED. Dhuri is now able to
send his children to good schools.
Vikas Bharti processes and sells the seed at fair prices
to tribal farmers across the district. These farmers
help meet the huge demand for rice in Jharkhand.
They increase their yield without becoming
dependent on moneylenders, large chemical inputs
or corporate-produced seeds. In a country wracked
by farmer suicides, IDRF’s intervention has made
farmers self-sufficient.
Participating farmers Santosh, Ravi, and Duri Oraon
said, “This program has not only changed the quality
of our life but also changed the perspective of the
farming community… we realize the importance of
this precious gold: the seed.” The program is so
successful that the STATE GOVERNMENT INVESTED
IN ITS EXPANSION.
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