The taste of pears of Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh is being liked by the capital of the country, Delhi. Apart from Delhi, Jashpur pears are being purchased in various states of the country including Uttar Pradesh, Ranchi. Famous for its natural beauty and tribal culture, the farmers of remote areas of Jashpur are cultivating tea, cashew, tomato, chilli, potato in their fields in addition to greens and vegetables in their fields. Pear cultivation is being done on a large scale in the plateau areas of the garden block here. The farmers of the region are getting good profits from this cultivation. In Jashpur district, about 660 metric tonnes of pears are being produced in 750.00 hectares, which is benefitting more than 17 hundred farmers. There is an unprecedented change in his life.
The cultivation of tea in Balachhapar in Jashpur district and the cultivation of papaya in Darbha of Bastar are making headlines all over the country today. Unprecedented changes in the field of agriculture in the state are an indicator of the fact that agriculture in the state is now bringing more comprehensive and innovative changes than usual, which is connecting people with employment, self-employment.
Many farmers have started production of pears by taking advantage of the Pear Area Extension Scheme of the Horticulture Department, one of them is Mr. Virendra Kujur, a farmer of the Garden Development Block, who has planted 250 pear trees in his garden. Now every year they are earning lakhs of rupees by collecting fruits and selling them, besides this work has also provided employment to the local small farmers and agricultural laborers.
Mr. Virendra says that in the year 2021-2022, he earned about Rs. 3 lakhs from pear production work. He told that he has got the direct benefit of the government’s schemes, which has increased his income, he is working continuously under the guidance of expert officers, now he wants to expand this work further.
On the basis of the vision of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, continuous work is being done to promote income-oriented activities of production and encourage farmers in the areas related to agriculture, horticulture and forestry in the state. Under the ambitious scheme Narva, Garwa, Ghurwa, Bari of Chhattisgarh government, production of vegetables and fruits based on local climate is also being promoted in the villages. With the aim of bringing change in the economic condition and standard of living of the village, villagers and farmers, such schemes are being implemented on the ground, which are filling the pockets of the people.
The government is operating many important schemes to promote agriculture in the state and encourage farmers by making them financially empowered. Apart from paddy, farmers in remote areas are also doing many types of farming, including fruit production, this has not only opened up opportunities for production capacity in the state, but also for local employment. Farmers and villagers in remote areas of the state are getting the guidance of experts and the benefits of government schemes for agriculture through modern method adapted to the geographical environment.