For the past few months, in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, farmers have been struggling to make a living in the degraded dry land.

Due to high dependence on rain-fed agriculture including food grains, scarcity of water supply led to low yields.  Realising the gravity of the looming crisis, the Pudu Udok farmers club from Dharmapur III in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh came together to solve this problem to continue their earnings from agriculture. 

In the year 2021, Pudu Udok farmers club was formed under Seva Kendra Arunachal East, Miao with 20 members. The group consisted of 10 farmers of each gender group.

The club was given training by Seva Kendra Arunachal East (SKAE), Miao. The FARM team of SKAE also provided their support and motivated the farmers. 

Dharmapur’s group lacked support from the state, although institutional support from SKAE continued.   

As a means of overcoming problems and improving their livelihood, Pudok Udok farmers started group cultivation. The president of Pudi Udok FC, Swapan Kumar Chakma, and his fellow members also started winter cropping during mid-October 2021. The group had grown peas, cabbage, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and long beans on Swapan’s 5 acre plot for commercial and subsistence use. They invested a total of Rs 55,800 for ploughing and levelling the fields, irrigation pipes, seeds and some equipment such as bamboo. “Due to the high yields and market demand, we were able to make a total profit of Rs 2,45,640 from the produce, especially peas, cabbage and tomatoes,” said Swapan. “It is interesting to work together with a group because it helps us in many ways, like a dependable labour force, more investable funds and skills inherited from other groups,” he added.  Swapan pointed out that as a first group initiative the farmers were quite satisfied with the result.

The group is looking to compound their produce by planning to grow more organic crops that are more popular in the market such as cauliflower, okra, potatoes, cucumbers, peppers, etc. and to expand the cultivated area for commercial purposes. In this regard, SKAE played a key leadership role in driving innovation to increase income for smallholder farmers under the  FARM programme.  

Members of the FARM group enthusiastically work together to produce safe and affordable products for the village, thus fostering a bridge between the farmer communities. They constantly strive to identify common links so as to improve their understanding of the situation. “The method of group farming promotes profitability and consumer confidence in producing high-quality products that meet and exceed consumer expectations,” said Mintu Mosahari, Coordinator, SKAE.