Kolhapur, Maharashtra
In a remarkable achievement, Shri Dutt Farmer Cooperative Factory has successfully transformed 8,000 acres of saline land in western Maharashtra into fertile agricultural land, benefiting over 1,000 farmers and setting a benchmark for sustainable agriculture practices.
Background:
Salinization of land has been a persistent issue in western Maharashtra, affecting approximately 70,000 acres of land, with 40,000 acres in Kolhapur-Sangli district alone. This has resulted in reduced crop yields, waterlogging, and soil degradation.
Initiative:
Shri Dutt Farmer Cooperative Factory, under the leadership of President Ganpatrao Patil, embarked on an ambitious project to restore fertility to saline land using the subsurface drainage system (SSD). This innovative approach has:
- Reclaimed 8,000 acres of saline land
- Benefited over 1,000 farmers
- Increased sugarcane yields up to 93 tonnes/acre
- Generated significant income for farmer families
Key Partnerships:
The initiative was made possible through:
- Rs. 13.42 crore loan facilitated through Udgaon Co-operative Bank
- Central Government's National Agricultural Development Scheme sanctioning Rs. 11.50 crore grant
- Collaboration with Central Saline Land Research Centre, Karnal, Haryana
Recognition:
The success story of Shri Dutt Farmer Cooperative Factory has been recognized nationally and internationally:
- Presented at 8th International Sugar Conference and Sugarcon 2024, Vietnam
- Acknowledged as a model project for saline land reclamation
"Our experiment has become a pilot project for the state and country. We're proud to have brought hope and prosperity to desperate farmers, with income generation of lakhs of rupees per family." - Ganpatrao Patil, President, Shri Dutt Farmer Cooperative Factory:
"This initiative showcases the power of collaborative efforts and innovative agriculture practices. We invite others to replicate this model." - M. V. Patil, Executive Director:
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