The Central Horticultural Experiment Station (CHES), ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bhubaneswar, has successfully organized a Training and Capacity Building Program at Bataboni, Harda, Binpur-II Block, Jhargram District, West Bengal on 11th September 2025. The program was designed to empower farmers through the development of mango and guava orchards, with an emphasis on enhancing their required knowledge, practical skills and exploring business opportunities within this sector. The program was coordinated by Dr. Deepa Samant, Dr Shantanu Rakshit and Sri P C Majhi under the guidance of Dr G C Acharya, Head, CHES, Bhubaneswar.
The event featured a variety of informative sessions. Dr. Deepa Samant led a lecture on “Mango and Guava Orchard Development,” focusing on effective orchard management, maintenance, and post-harvest practices. Dr. Shantanu Rakshit delivered an engaging lecture on the “Business Opportunities in Mango and Guava Orchards,” helping farmers understand how they can turn their orchards into profitable ventures. A key demonstration on the ‘Use of Fruit Fly Traps’ by P.C. Majhi showcased practical pest management techniques. In addition to the lectures and demonstrations, high-quality planting materials, including Arka Neelachal Kesari Mango plants, Arka Kiran Guava plants, and Arka Neelachal Shanti Spine gourd plants, were distributed among the participants. The program saw active participation of about 55 farmers from surrounding nine villages. Mr Shyamal Pratihar from Shirshi Farmers Club and Kumaresh Sarkar from Sabuj Biplab Farmers Producer Company Ltd, alongside other members from these organizations actively supported in organizing this program.
