Ujedi Pangi (32), wife of Hari Pangi of Upper Barabandha village under Kotia gram panchayat in Pottangi block has taken the lead in having strawberry cultivation over 3 acres of land under the guidance of ITDA, Koraput under Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeevika Mission (MMJJM) under ST,SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department.
Ujedi and other farmers are very happy to see the lovely red exotic fruits on the plants creating a very encouraging scene on the mulching bed. Here as one acre has been cultivated by the SHG consisting 10 members, Ujedi expects Rs. 1.50 lakh as minimum share per member till May-end.
Sushila Kishan (24) from Badaposh village under Bonaigarh block in Sundargarh is now confident that her family will no longer “lead a life of difficulties”. Her family could now be able to diversify their livelihood baskets and earn an additional income of 30,000/- just within 3-4 months’ of time.
For Sabita Sabara (48) the harvest of 42 quintals of tomatoes in just three months was a wonderful achievement. From the remote Rengam village under Siriguda Gram Panchayat of Gudari Block and Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Gunupur, Sabita is a star performer from among 120 members of“Rengam Janajati Jeevika Parishad.
Baruna Dehury (38), a marginal farmer in Khuntakata village of Banspal block under ITDA Keonjhar has proved his expertise with a bumper cauliflower production and a profit of Rs 50,000 through his harvest and has discovered a better option for livelihood under MMJJM.
Somanath Mundagadia (37) of Hataguda village under Parajamuthai gram panchayat in Semiliguda block of ITDA, Koraput was earlier dependent on the millet yields from his 2.50 acre land. But, he is now happy to get a return of around Rs 1.75 lakh of vegetable crops under MMJJM.
Surmuni Chatar (52) from Bangiriposi village under Jhadghosda gram panchayat of Sukruli block and ITDA Karanjia’s success story is based on the cluster plan prepared by the JJP. With the current mustard yield Surmuni’s family is earning Rs 5,000 to 6,000/ in a month and hopes that it can go up to Rs 50,000 in the coming year.
MMJJM: A GAME CHANGER
The MMJJM Programme is funded by the Odisha Government and the State Budget has provisioned Rs 500 crores for it for three years starting the 2023-24 fiscal. Operating in 13 districts and 119 Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) blocks, it encompasses 22 ITDA areas and the initial phase runs from 2023-24 to 2025-26 financial years. In the first phase, the programme aims to directly benefit 1.5 lakh tribal households.
The programme, spearheaded by the ST,SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, is implemented by ITDAs with support of a State-level PMU by non-government organisation PRADAN and 16 other partner NGOs as facilitators with the ITDAs.
MMJJM is one of the Largest Livelihood promotion initiatives directly and specifically meant for the indigenous communities of Odisha.
MAJOR ACTIVITIES
The main activities of MMJJM include promotion and strengthening of Janajati Jeevika Parishad (JJP) as the community level grassroots institution and establishing the Livelihood production clusters, entry point activities to build the confidence of the community, development of farm clusters through critical input support and following regenerative agriculture and non-synthetic approach of crop production and creation of suitable irrigation infrastructures to enhance crop intensity.
MMJJM OUTCOMES
Commissioner-cum-Secretary ST,SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said “MMJJM has resulted in significant increase in the farm income of the beneficiaries in its initial year. In the subsequent years, as per the plan, intervened crop area under cultivation will be doubled and hundred percent of the farm families will adopt a better package of practices due to project intervention.”
After 3 years the scheme envisaged fifty percent increase in productivity of the crops taken under cluster development programme and fifty percent of the cluster areas have come under irrigation. While it has helped in fifty percent increase in area under cultivation in both winter and summer season including doubling of crop intensity, forty percent of wasteland/fallow lands/FRA lands of the clusters villages were brought under active cultivation through the activities of MMJJM.
