Farmers whose lands were unoccupied and unable to produce earlier now have improved their income through herbal cultivation. In the Khunti district in Jharkhand, about 2500 farmers are engaged in agriculture.
The income of these farmers has increased from Rs.30000 to Rs.50000.
Khunti was formerly known throughout the country for extremism, but its character is slowly changing. There has been an unexpected improvement in the situation here as a result of the efforts of several Government schemes.
People are gaining access to work opportunities. Agriculture sector is advancing in the state especially the women of rural areas are getting the benefit of this. The majority of the land here is above ground, where cultivation was only viable during the rainy season. Farmers did not have information about which crops must be grown, therefore the land remained vacant throughout the year.
After this, Jharkhand State livelihood Promotion society (JSLPS) began cultivating medicinal plants in conjunction with the government and non-government organizations. Such plants were sown in order to produce better results with less water and above ground level.
Its effect was also evident and hence the demand for herbal products increased, owing to the high quality of the product.
Medicinal plants like lemon grass, palma rosa, vetiver, and tulsi are attempting to shape the identity of peg. Today, many private farmers, government agencies, and non-government groups cultivate herbal plants here. This study is being done as part of the JSLPS Johar project. According to statistics provided to Johar Project, lemon grass is being cultivated here in an area of 311 acres.
Apart from that, Palma Rosa is grown on 10 acres, Vetiver on 5 acres, and Tulsi on 20 to 30 acres. The finished products are being shipped to various states across the country as well as abroad.
Arrangements have been established to transport women's produce directly from their farms to the market.
The farm itself contains a processing unit where oil is extracted. The product is then sold in the market. In this way, women bring value to their product, which benefits them. Some young farmers have even established oil processing units on their fields. Many private corporations export their products by purchasing them.
