Training on Development and promotion of horticulture-based women friendly entrepreneurship for livelihood improvement as an alternative to subsistence farming in rural Tripura

On 12th March, 2020, a training was held at ICAR RC NEH Region, Tripura Centre for promotion of horticulture-based entrepreneurship under the project funded by DBT in collaboration with KVK, West Tripura. Thirty numbers of Tribal women farmers from west Tripura were selected. Dr. Biswajit Das, Principal Scientist-cum-Principal Investigator of the project delivered lecture on the scope of horticulture for income generation and livelihood improvement especially through, mushroom, vegetable cultivation and horticulture based integrated farming system (IFS) with poultry.

A demonstration and hands on training on mushroom production technology was given by Dr. Lopamudra Sahoo, Senior scientist and her laboratory assistants. All the trainees were distributed mushroom spawn and paddy straw substate for starting quality mushroom production at home. Plants of mango var. Amrapali and sweet orange var. Mosambi as well as high yielding vegetable seeds were also distributed for cultivation under IFS. Dr. Vinay Singh, scientist (poultry science) demonstrated the rearing technology of improved poultry breeds selected at ICAR, Tripura Centre as back yard poultry. Field visits to high density pineapple under mulch, dragon fruit and multistoried vegetable cultivation technology demonstration blocks was also conducted by Mr. Satyapriya Singh. Scientist (Entomology) along with project staffs of horticulture section. An interaction session was also organized after the training. The women farmers were also highly impressed by the technologies and all of them agreed to follow the advice of the scientists for adoption of these horticulture-based technologies which they considered to be very much suitable for their livelihood improvement through higher income generation and family nutritional security.