Abstract
A novel technique of converting decomposable organic wastes into
valuable manure (compost) through earthworm activity is a faster and
beneficial process. The earthworms are used as the natural bioreactors
for making decomposition of the waste materials. Keeping in view the
vast availability of organic wastes in Himachal Pradesh, a project was
undertaken in tribal areas of the state to train women for dissemination
of the technology and their economic upliftment. The study was conducted
in two districts of Himachal Pradesh viz. Kinnaur and Lahaul &
Spiti.
From these two districts 68 villages were randomly selected (27 in
Kinnaur and 41 in Lahaul and Spiti) and 858 farm families (371 in
Kinnaur
and 487 in Lahaul & Spiti) were approached through a pre-tested
interview schedule. The independent variables selected for the study
were
educational status, annual income of the family, size of land holding,
cattle population, organic waste, crop husbandry information, manures
and pesticides used. The population engaged in agriculture was 86.5,
80.5 and 50.2% in Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, respectively. Due to the
cultivation of cash crops such as apple, pea, potato, rajmash etc.
income of the tribal families was satisfactory especially in Kinnaur.
However, in
Lahaul and Spiti 85.5 and 100% farm families fall under low income
group.Crop residues were available in Kinnaur. In Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti
only 53.2, 43.8 and 16.5%, respectively, of the families were using
insecticides. The respective use of fungicides in these areas was by
85.4, 91.5 and 56.7% families. None were using herbicides in Kinnaur,
while
61.5 and 47% families were using in Lahaul and Spiti, respectively. In
Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti 97.9, 95.5 and 96.9% of the total families
were
rearing cows. Thus after crop husbandry, animal husbandry/dairying is
the other important activity taken up by the tribal farmers. In Kinnaur,
Lahaul and Spiti quite a satisfactory amount of waste was available for
this activity being taken up in a big way in the area. The kitchen waste
in
villages is directly fed to the livestock reared by the farmers. In
total, 30 training programmes were organized in far flung and difficult
to reach
villages, where 1245 tribal women farmers were trained and 175
vermicomposting units were set up. The vermiculture were distributed
free
of cost for these units. The participation in State Tribal Festival at
Rekangpeo helped in spreading vermitechnology activity to about 5000
tribal
farmers. These studies were a step for tribal/rural development for
providing balanced nutrients for enhanced crop productivity as well as a
source of earning a rural livelihood.
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