Livelihood Enhancement through Orchard Plantation
Sponsor: Deputy Director of Horticulture (DDH)-Keonjhar
Location: Champua block, Keonjhar district of Odisha
Major Achievements: The initiative expanded to 93.4 acres, with 6 new Wadis established this year, benefitting 83 participant families across 6 villages. The orchards comprise of fruit trees such as mango, cashew, apple ber, and pomegranate, chosen for their high market demand and agro-climatic suitability. While all Wadis are in their first year and yet to reach harvest stage, farmers have been actively engaged in maintaining the plantations through weeding, mulching, watering, and fencing, with continuous field monitoring and technical support from the project team.
To provide short-term income support while the orchards mature, intercropping support was extended for turmeric cultivation over approximately 19.8 acres, with input assistance provided to all 83 farmers by the Horticulture Department.
Mor Jal Mor Maati (MJMM)
Major Achievements: The project aims to develope 250 Wadis by converting 125 acres of underutilised land into productive fruit orchards. Approximately 12,000 mango saplings will be planted across 40 village clusters, laying the foundation for long-term sustainable livelihoods. The project is encouraging farmers to adopt intercropping alongside orchard plantations, enabling sustainable source of income. In parallel, support was extended to nine existing Wadis across six locations under the project’s revival component. These Wadis were rejuvenated through focussed training, input support, and fencing material to ensure their long-term sustainability.