M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Mar 27: Palamu is making an entry into citrus fruits cultivation from this year 2022 – 23, although on a limited scale. The Birsa Agriculture University has its research centre at Chiyanki where its scientists have grown oranges thereby giving a strong message to the farmers here to go for orange cultivation.
Cultivation of oranges and mosambi (Sweet Lemon) is a new agricultural venture. Latehar’s Netarhat produces pears which was started two decades ago. Farmers were sceptical whether or not the pear cultivation would succeed. However nothing such happened to the farmers and the pear cultivation was successful. In Palamu the farmers’ response to the cultivation of the citrus fruits is tepid where they appear to be in the state of confusion.
“We have selected only 148 acres for orange and mosambi cultivation at the start in 61 villages falling in 57 panchayats,” said Deputy development commissioner Palamu Megha Bhardwaj.
Sources said the farmers have in mind about the mango cultivation going on here under the Birsa Harit Gram Yojna where not even 250 grams of mangoes grown in this scheme have ever been sold in the market.
Palamu district administration has never held any press conference on issues related to the farmers, agriculture, crop insurance, MGNREGA, surface water management, rural roads, schemes under special central assistance in the past few years. As a result, neither the bulk of the media nor the common people have any idea as to what the administration is doing for them.
According to the sources, there is a colossal communication collapse between the district administration and the media at least on issues that affect the lives of the common people even in the post phase of the three waves of the Coronavirus.
The district administration is only relying on press notes released by the district information and public relations office which invariably remain sketchy and wanting in terms of communication.
Sources said the official press notes so released are nothing but a play of words with lots of encomium to the top officers in the district, sadly and badly stifling the voices or the suggestions of the common people.
DDC Megha said, “Our growers are lukewarm towards these two cash fruits despite our efforts. We do not know as to why the farmers have not set their eyes on growing citrus fruits.”
MGNREGA will cover the entire cost of the cultivation of the citrus fruits from digging pits to fencing to planting the saplings.
“Our block level functionaries are persuading farmers to try their luck at these two fruits which will add to their economy,” said DDC.
Sources said that 29 sites have been sanctioned for growing citrus fruits but no single pit has been even dug up for saplings of the citrus fruits.
Sources added that the DDC and her team will have to hold Kisan Goshthi in the fields in the evening to know as to what are the hesitations of the farmers towards not going for the orange and other citrus fruits.
