Bund Cultivation Brings Food and Savings

Nuadei Bhoi, a marginal farmer decided to undertake bund cultivation in the year 2019. “After 15 years we have cultivated on our 680 Running Meter (RMT) of farm bund”, exclaimed Nuadei and her husband Narayan Bhoi. First, they sowed arhar and black gram on the bund of two sides of their paddy field, followed by ladyfinger and ridge gourd on the bund of the other two sides.

They were delighted the first time when they harvested ladyfinger and ridge gourd from their farm bunds! It would have costed them Rs. 250/- to Rs. 300/- to buy from the market! “I hope to get 60 KG of mixed vegetables and 80KG pulses from my bund, which would amount to an additional income of Rs. 6000.00 to Rs. 8000.00 within 150 days”, Nuadei informed happily. “And we used indigenous seeds. These crops are completely chemical-free” added Narayan.

Bund cultivation is a simple technique, but it provides an immediate economic benefit to the farmers during the Kharif season. Bund cultivation reduces water run- off, controls soil erosion, protect land from siltation, improves soil moisture, prevent principal crops from insect pests, wild and domestic animal, supplies natural nutrients to main crops, make available more land for cultivation of diversified crops, restore of farmer friendly beneficial insects, and promote natural pollination.

Ugrasen Dharua a tribal farmer of Sirabahal shares “Bund cropping attracts different birds, butterflies and honeybees and provide food and shelter for a variety of beneficial insects. These insects provide natural pollination and control enemy insects and rodents which affect our crops”.