KVK, Mundra
Year of Establishment :
1992Thrust area:
To promote fruit cultivation and to improve genetic material of datepalm through popularisation of "off-shoot propagation" technology.
Improvement in livestock productivity through improving breed status, nutrition and management
Popularisation of low-cost water harvesting technologies.
Introduction of "Bee keeping"
Employment generation for farm women through embroidery work.
Agro-ecological situation of the district:
Area of Kutch district is 45612 Sq.km.
Average rainfall is 250-300 mm with average 13 rainy days.
Maximum and minimum temperature varies from 1o C to 48 o C during the year.
Soil is poor fertile and saline.
Gulf of Kutch in South bound the district, by Indian Ocean in the West and Runn of Kutch in the Northeast and Southeast with a total seacoast of 352 km.
Major crops are Bajra (1.24 lakh ha.), Green gram (0.95 lakh ha.), Groundnut (0.73 lakh ha.) and Cotton (0.57 lakh ha.).
Total animal population is 14.24 lakh.
Salient Activities and achievements:
To identify the immediate training needs of the local people, resource inventory survey of 15 villages of Mundra taluka was carried out. Since the inception the kendra has organised a total 157 training courses in which 1789 farmers, 451 farm women, 38 rural youth and 56 extension functionaries were benefited.
Extension Activities
Front line demonstration:
Front-line demonstration on various oilseeds and pulses crops such as mustard, sunflower, groundnut, sesamum, caster, green gram, pigeonpea etc. are conducted on farmers’ field. Total 125 ha. of land was covered in which 258 farmers were directly benefited.
Impact:
Training impact in technology adoption
Offshoot propagation in Data palm: Many farmers have acquired the skill for separation of offshoot from the mother plant. Two youth have been trained for this purpose. Through this method 100 per cent mother characters are maintained number of good quality date palm trees will be increased which will give good return in future.
Varietal adoption: In irrigated castor variety GCH-4 has been adopted by the farmers which gives higher yield then the variety which has previously sown by the farmers. In Green gram farmers use to sow local variety but now they have adopted variety K-851.
Well recharge: Water is scare commodity in Kutch and quality and water level goes down and down each year. As a result of this KVK programmes many farmers had adopted this technology and are in benefit.
Tractor driving: Last year rural youths were trained for tractor driving as a result of this seven youths have got the job of driver.
Smokeless chullah, Embroidery, Pragati model of smokeless chullah is popularise among rural women which reduce pollution and improve the health status of women. Total 30 such chullahs are constructed in adopted villages. Most of the chullah are in good working conditions.
One of the thrust area of the KVK is to create opportunity for the employment generation. After the inception of KVK, 40 rural women of two villages who have got some skill in indigenous arts like embroidery have been identified and trained. Almost all the train women/youth gaining an additional income of Rs.300-400 per month by utilising their leisure time.
Fertilizer Management :
Good number of farmers of this area one applying DAP as top dressing method. Majority of farmers applying Urea by hanging fertilizer bag with a hold on irrigation cannel which is totally unscientific way of applying fertilizer. The correct technology of applying fertilizer with proper method and optimum dose were taught to them. Most of farmers realised and adopted the recommended method of applying fertilizer.