DHAANYAGANGA KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA

Smt. Sonali Hazra of Hatpara village, Murshidabad, manages a 1.5 ha diversified and climate-resilient farm enterprise under the guidance of Dhaanyaganga Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Murshidabad Additional). The farm integrates cereals, pulses, vegetables and fruit crops, supported by vermicompost, FYM, liquid organic manure, jute and paddy straw mulching, vegetable nursery raising and low-cost trellising. Jute mulching in brinjal increased net returns by approximately 23.3% over conventional cultivation. The enterprise has enhanced income stability, reduced cultivation and household food costs, improved nutrition and strengthened women's decision-making and economic participation. Through NICRA-VCRMC and KVK extension activities, 11 farmers have adopted similar climate-smart practices. She has also initiated home-based tomato value addition, while KVK and NICRA are facilitating a community-based processing unit for commercial production and collective marketing.

Dhaanyaganga Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Sargachhi, with financial support from NABARD, implemented a project to revive millet cultivation and promote millet-based livelihoods in Murshidabad, West Bengal. The initiative covered six blocks and focused on farmer training, demonstrations, awareness programmes, value addition, processing, and market linkages, with special emphasis on rural youth, farm women, SHGs and FPCs. More than 1,350 farmers were reached, with 53% being women. Millet cultivation expanded to 21.5 hectares, producing 61.5 quintals of different millet varieties. An assured market was created, with about 80% of production procured for processing and value addition. The project strengthened local value chains, improved nutritional awareness, empowered women, and promoted climate-resilient agriculture. It provides a replicable model for sustainable millet-based entrepreneurship and rural livelihood development.

Shri Sunil Biswas, a farmer from Jafrabad village, Murshidabad, West Bengal, improved his lentil production through a Cluster Front Line Demonstration (CFLD) conducted by Dhaanyaganga Krishi Vigyan Kendra during 2024–25. The demonstration introduced the high-yielding, early-maturing variety Pusa Ageti, along with Nano DAP, micronutrient application, soil testing-based nutrient management, and recommended plant protection practices. As a result, lentil yield increased from 15.50 q/ha under traditional practices to 18.05 q/ha, achieving a 25.25% productivity increase. Net returns rose from ₹49,400/ha to ₹60,825/ha, while the benefit-cost ratio improved from 2.37 to 2.58. Impressed by the results, Shri Biswas decided to continue cultivating Pusa Ageti and encouraged neighbouring farmers to adopt improved technologies. The success demonstrates the potential of scientific crop management to enhance productivity, profitability, and livelihood security.