Central Horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar organized a training program on ‘Techniques for commercial nursery for fruit and vegetable crops’on 14th November 2019 in the campus of Uma Shankar Sabuja Duniya, Soragada village, Nandahandi Block, Nabarangpur district of Odisha, under RKVY-S&T project. Dr. P. Srinivas, Principal Scientist, enlightened the beneficiaries about the commercial viability of horticultural nursery. More than 40 rural youth and self help group members were trained in various nursery techniques like grafting in fruit crops, air layering in guava, cutting in marigold, pointed gourd, ivy gourd, root cutting in teasel gourd, seedling preparation in tomato, brinjal and chili, vegetable grafting, etc. with hands on practice and field demonstration. The program was addressed by Sri Debaprasad Das, District Agriculture Officer and Sri Ramakant Nayak, Project Director, District Rural Development Authority, on the importance of commercial nursery for enhancing farmers’ income. They suggested that the horticulture nursery would not only serve as sole or supplementary income source but would also serve as the focal dissemination point to spread high quality fruit, vegetable and flower varieties of ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru. Various garden tools essential for commercial nursery were distributed to the SHG members. Sri Bimal, representing Gobindalaya, and Sri Krushna Nayak, MD, Umashankar Sabhuja duniya addressed the gathering and supported with logistics for successfully organizing the program.
On 15th November 2019 two training programs were organized in Nabarangpur on ‘Commercial cultivation of vegetable crops for socio-economic development’ at Kangumajhiguda village of Papadahandi block and Baraguda village of Kosagumuda block of Nabarangpur district. The beneficiaries were educated on various aspects of commercial vegetable cultivation with special emphasis on onion (Arka Bheem, Arka Bindu, Arka ujjwala, Arka Pragati, Arka Kalyaan), tomato (Arka Samrat, Arka Rakshak, Arka Abhed), chilli (Arka Khyati, Arka harita), coriander (Arka Isha), etc. Dr. P. Srinivas, PI of the project, informed the participants on varieties of vegetable crops to be supplied to the beneficiaries for demonstration of commercial vegetable cultivation under the RKVY-S&T project. Seeds of vegetables crops were distributed to the selected beneficiaries. He also explained the special features of these varieties while explaining various techniques and production technologies involved in cultivation various high yielding vegetables. Mr Subhendu Bhala, program officer, capacity building, Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme (OTELP), Ms Kamalini, Agriculture Officer, OTELP, Ms Tejaswini, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Papadahandi, Ms Bhanupriya Sahu, Village Agriculture Worker, addressed the gathering and informed about the future schedule of distribution of Arka vegetable seeds. Volunteers and officials of local executing NGOs, RCDC and IRDMS, CHES field assistants assisted in arranging local logistics and other activities for successfully organizing the training programs. All three training programms were coordinated by Dr. P. Srinivas, Principal Scientist and PI, RKVY-S&T with active support from district officials, NGOs, and field staff.
