As part of the ongoing ‘Technology Week for Women in Agriculture’ Celebrations, a Farmers -Scientist- Interaction and training on protected cultivation of high value crops was organised at village Sakhigopal in Puri district of Odisha on January 23, 2014. The programme was organized under the project “Resource Efficient Horticulture Model for Livelihood Improvement of Rural Women” with an objective to understand the problem of farmers in cultivating horticultural crops and to bridge the technological gap among farmwomen.

Dr. A.K. Shukla, Dr. Naresh Babu and Dr. (Mrs) Abha Singh, Scientists of DRWA highlighted the importance of technological intervention like improved varieties, seed treatment, seedlings raising techniques of vegetables in protrays inside protected structure and protected cultivation of high value crops, erection of low cost protected structure, grading, linkages of marketing and getting better price of produce and nutritional security through fruits and vegetables among farm family. During the interaction, farmers expressed the need for quality planting materials and seeds besides the technological support for crop production and post harvest handling. Critical inputs like seeds of improved varieties of bitter gourd, okra, pumpkin, cucumber, ridgegourd and fertilizer were distributed to the farmers to initiate the work. Further, a knowledge debate among farmwomen was also conducted and selected three best farmwomen for prizes. Dr. (Mrs.) Saswati Paricha, S.M.S. (Home Science) and Sri Samarendra Baral S.M.S. (Plant Protection), KVK Puri district also highlighted the prospects of low cost protected structures in reference to plant protection measures. The programme was assisted by Mr. Manoranjan Prusty and Mrs. Tapaswini Sahoo, Technical Assistants of the Directorate. More than 60 farmers including farmwomen participated in this event.