Raipur 23 February 2025: Farmers in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district have found a new way amid the water crisis. While farmers across the country are investing more water and cost in traditional farming, Ramnath and Chaitram of Kurru village changed their thinking and not only increased profits but also introduced a new model of water conservation. Ramnath, who used to cultivate paddy earlier, planted gram crop this time and sold gram worth Rs 84 thousand in just two months. On the other hand, his fellow farmer Chaitram earned Rs 1.76 lakh by sowing gram in three acres, while his total expenditure was only Rs 60 thousand. That is, a direct profit of Rs 1.16 lakh! This shows that with the right crop selection, farmers can earn more in less time. Paddy vs. Gram: Which is better? Paddy cultivation requires 1.20 crore liters of water per hectare, while only 40 lakh liters are sufficient for gram. That is, 80 lakh liters of water can be saved in every hectare. Apart from this, the cost of fertilizers and pesticides in the cultivation of gram is also less by Rs 40-45 thousand as compared to paddy. The natural bacteria present in its roots increase the fertility of the soil and the need for chemical fertilizers for the next crop is reduced. The gram crop is ready sooner than paddy – in just 70-80 days. Due to this, farmers can sow the next crop early and earn more profit in a year.
In this year’s budget, the agriculture sector has been described as the engine of the Indian economy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has taken many big decisions to increase the income of farmers and improve agriculture. The most revolutionary decision was to increase the loan limit under Kisan Credit Card (KCC) from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. This will enable 7.7 crore farmers, fishermen and livestock farmers to get short-term loans at low interest, which will enable them to adopt modern agricultural techniques. Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi and Fasal Bima Yojana have already changed the direction of farming. Now the farmer is getting the right price along with the security of the crop. Under the Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana started in 2018, farmers get assistance of Rs 6,000 every year, which is transferred directly to the bank account in three installments. This scheme is not limited to financial help, but with this farmers can further increase their yield by purchasing new seeds, fertilizers and equipment. The government is now working towards making farmers not only food providers but also agricultural entrepreneurs. Moving beyond traditional farming, emphasis is being laid on adopting new techniques and water conservation measures. These farmers of Dhamtari have proved that with the right thinking and new techniques, farming can not only be made profitable, but a serious problem like water crisis can also be solved.
