400 Acres of Pumpkin Fields
ODISHA, INDIA – Dolagobinda Dehuri, a pumpkin farmer from Gudisahi village, Karanjia block, has become an inspiration in his village for his innovative approach to pumpkin cultivation. He adopted improved farming techniques and technologies to overcome the challenges he experienced in growing this highly nutritious crop.
Looking for a Solution
Dolagobinda has been farming for many years. Until recently, he cultivated local pumpkin varieties. However, these varieties were susceptible to disease, resulting in lower yields and poor fruit quality. Frustrated by this situation, he went in search of solutions in 2022. That’s when he first met the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) team.
Dolagobinda encountered EWS-KT through Arjun Hansdah, a young EWS-KT farmer who was cultivating pumpkins using new techniques and an improved variety. (Read Arjun’s story here.)
EWS-KT has been working in Karanjia since 2021 to develop farmers’ skills in vegetable production and improve their livelihoods. Farmer-led demonstration plots using new farming methods, along with hands-on training sessions run by EWS-KT, help farmers to understand the benefits of improved farming practices.
At Arjun’s demonstration plot, Dolagobinda was introduced to effective techniques like proper spacing of plants, calibrated fertilization, and how to select appropriate crop varieties. Seeing the positive results from these approaches inspired him to follow them in his own field, using a pumpkin variety that was resistant to the diseases that had plagued his previous crops.
From Half an Acre to 400 Acres
Under the guidance of EWS-KT Technical Field Officer Sanu Kumar Behera, Dolagobinda cultivated pumpkins on half an acre of land and followed all the improved techniques he had learned. The combined result of the new techniques and the disease-resistant variety was excellent, and he achieved a higher yield.
Having seen the profitability of pumpkins in the first year, he formulated a plan to expand the area under pumpkin cultivation, leasing land in different locations in Karanjia. Now, with continuing support from the EWS-KT team, Dolagobinda is growing pumpkins on an impressive 400 acres of land. With a robust market for pumpkins in neighboring West Bengal state—and traders already sending vegetable transport trucks to this new pumpkin-growing hub—his livelihood has been transformed.
