4. Shift to cultivate crops which requires less water like castor, mustard, pulses and horticultural crops

                    7. Fruits and vegetables preservation

                    8. Health care and nutrition of children

                    9. Income generation for rural women by sewing, embroidery, knitting and preparation of different articles.

Total geographical area is 64255 ha.

Average rainfall is 615mm with 26-42 average rainy days.

Soil is sandy loam.

Total no. of villages are 75 in which marginal farmers (6,084), small farmers(5,006), and big farmers (1680) represent the farming communities.

Main crops are Castor, Wheat, Bajra, Mustard and Vegetables.

Animal population - Buffalo(44231nos.), Goat(14564nos.), Bullocks(6483nos.), Cow(5291 nos.).

Training needs were identified by survey method, observing farmer’s methodology while working on the field and discussions with the farmers, farm women and youths.

KVK is organizing training programmes for farmers and carry out extension programme under Lab to Land and follow up.

In order to know, the effectiveness and adoption of practices discussed, demonstrated and experienced during training, an evaluative study was designed and carried out with special structural interview schedule administered to the purposively selected group of farmers (170). The farmers of 5 villages were informed through their leaders by post to attend evaluation session and follow up training. The results of the evaluation for 162 families turned up at the centre can be narrated as under:

N = 162

Numbers Percentage

1. Retention of knowledge(could received)Recollect details of training

a. Crop production 141 87

b. Plant protection #9; 60 37

c. Animal management #9; 24 15

2. Adopted as trained:

a. New varieties 149 92

b. Right use of fertilizer 135 83

c. Adequate plant protection measure 131 81

The quick study has brought out salient points of gainful impact of KVK which can be summarized as under :

1. Variety selection 6. Sowing distance

2. Seed treatment 7. Fertiliser application in seed bed

3. Preparing seed bed 8. Weed control

4. Sowing sprouted seed 9. Water management

5. Age of seedlings 10. Use of bio fertiliser in paddy field

1. Seed treatment with salt solution 5. Proper age of paddy seedling

2. Sowing of sprouted seeds 6. Transplanting paddy in line

3. Seed treatment with fungicide 7. Maintaining plant population

4. Treatment to paddy seedlings 8. Use of bio fertiliser in paddy field

Shri Dineshkumar Dangi, a young tribal boy of Randheja village was one of the participants in the training on ‘Tractor driving and minor repairing’. He did not show any prominence in college education and failed in T.Y.B.A. Then he started working as a daily paid labour on farmers’ field. Before acquiring the skills of driving a tractor, he used to earn about Rs. 300/- per month. After successfully completing the training, he has been called for as tractor driver by a progressive farmer. Now Shri Dineshkumar is earning Rs. 1200/- per month. Thus, he has been able to raise his family income we can say above poverty line with the skills he learned in the training.

Improved paddy variety Kalinga was sown on the demonstration farm of KVK, Randheja. Farmers of Vajapura village visited the farm and they were impressed by the paddy variety. A demonstration of this new variety was planned to be organised on the field of the one progressive farmer of Vajapura village. The variety was found superior in duration, water requirement, lodging, pests and diseases attack and in yield over local variety. Many farmers visited the demonstration field. During kharif 1996, the seeds spread over 13 villages on 24 farmers’ fields in 31 bigha land. In all 160.500 kg of ‘Kalinga’ seeds were sowed by the farmers.

During 1990-91, KVK took initiative to convince the farmers to grow fruit crops and other plants on the bands of their farms. Special training programmes were also organised for the purpose. One of the trainee Mr.Shankarbhai Patel has planted 25 trees of Coirdia augustifolia during 1991-92. During 1995-96, he earned a net profit of almost Rs. 4,000.00 from the twenty survived plants.

Shri Jayeshkumar D. Patel a rural youth of Sonipur village has completed his M.Com. in 1994. He did not get job and decided to start something of his own. He contacted KVK, Randheja. He was guided for dairy farming and advise to approach SBI, Randheja to get loan for Dairy unit. He started Dairy unit For the first ten months the total milk yield was 29,100 lit. with total sales of Rs. 3,43,200/-. Deducting a total recurring expenses of Rs. 1,44,700/-, the available surplus comes to Rs. 1.98,500/-. If interest of the bank loan be deducted from this, the net receipts would come to Rs. 1,69,700/- for the ten months. This is a unique example of self employed rural youth.

Mrs. Daxaben Pandya of Randheja village joined the training course on bakery product preparation during 1995. She was well trained on ‘Nankhatai, Coconut biscuit and Wheat flour biscuits. She started home scale production of these items. She earned a net margin of Rs. 25/- per kg. product. In a year she got Rs.12,500/- as a net profit from the Services for production as well as sale of biscuits. This provided good economic support to her family.