ROURKELA: Thanks to the joint venture project taken up by the National Institute of Technology - Rourkela (NIT-R) and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of SAIL, around 150 women farmers have so far been trained in various facets of organic farming. The venture was launched in November 2021 to promote sustainable organic farming and create livelihood for women farmers under an MoU signed in May 2021. The project was taken up at a cost of about Rs 45 lakh for a period of four years.
The project also envisaged to maintain ecological balance and extend hands-on training to about 700 small women farmers. In the first phase, a dragon fruit cultivation unit was launched in September 2022 at the Institute of Periphery Development (IPD) of RSP in Sector-20.RSP sources said the cultivation unit is one of the early initiatives in Sundargarh district to promote the cash-rich horticulture crop and impart hands-on training to women farmers.
NIT-R Registrar Prof Rohan Dhiman described the project as industry-academic interface to help protect the environment and create sustainable livelihood using organic farming techniques. He said the NIT-R is involved in training of women farmers and carrying out research, adding the project further involves technology transfer, promotion of research and development and creation of market linkage involving self-help groups, government and other agencies.
Prof Rama Chandra Pradhan of the Food Process Engineering department of NIT-R said so far about 150 women farmers picked up by the RSP have been trained in various facets of organic farming including vermicomposting, preparation and use of bio-pesticides and organic nutrients, better land practices and maintaining good soil health. He claimed half of the trained farmers of Bisra block have taken up organic farming with support of RSP.
“A PhD scholar of the institute has been engaged in research on improvement in soil health condition, increase in shelf-life and quality of organic crops,” he added.The RSP would set up another organic farming site near Aambagan in Sector-19, while more such sites would come up gradually in peripheral areas, Pradhan informed.