Mr. Baikuntha Bag,S/o Mr. Lakhinatha Bag from Tuklapada village from Nuagaon GP in Komna block belong to a marginal family subsisting on a 2.00 acres of upland. This piece of land was lying barren for a considerable period of time prior to the APF program intervention. The theme of the Azim Premji Foundation (APF) revolved around “Water for Agriculture”. Thus the beneficiaries will be made available with water for farming in their fields in this APF program in Komna block. Due to poverty, this piece of land was mortgaged by Baikuntha Bag for some money in his village for Rs. 20000/-. This land was barren and undulating in nature for which, there was a considerable amount of soil erosion due to swift flow of runoff water during rainy season. During APF intervention, he was chosen as a beneficiary and his land was developed by field bunding to make it arable and fit for agriculture. He was assisted with Rs. 17200/- as cost of bunding work and was provided maize seeds from APF program. Employing this, he cultivated maize in his developed land by using water from his own small dug well. Maize raised in the field and arhar dal in the field bunds as part of the mixed cropping.. He is expecting a good crop in this kharif season to make some profit to the tune of Rs. 40000/-. His mortgaged land was released as he paid the amount to the landlord he got from the land development assistance from APF program. Thus Baikuntha Bag’s unused barren land became sustainable again to support the poor family through APF program with active support from CPSW-KENDUBHATA.

Deokumari Bhunjia comes from a tribal village kotrabeda in Sunabeda plateau of Nuapada district. Being situated on a higher altitude in comparison to plan area of the Komna block, she used to be small farmer as the land was rainfed due to absence of regular irrigation facility. Her family comprises 7 members including the couple. They belong to the bhunjia tribe of the Sunabeda region. As the area is a covered by the forest under the wild life sanctuary, they found it very hard to grow paddy to feed the family with the entire year. All they have 2 acres of rain fed land to support the family with cultivation of paddy for their main staple food and for other food requirement they depend upon the nearby forest for some NTFP collection and selling those in the nearby market. The family grows paddy during the kharif season and in rabi season-2024-25 they grow some vegetable and wild crops to meet their food need. So they were dependent on other big farmers or money lenders for their financial emergencies. Odisha Millet Mission (now Shree Anna Abhiyan) came as a ray of hope to this family when they were selected as beneficiary from thei village to try millet farming (Foxtail millet)in rabi season 2024-25 to augment their income.They were supported with seeds, training/incentive was provided from the PD, ATMA, Nuapada through the facilitating agency CPSW-KENDUBHATA. With this support the family worked hard in their 2 acres of land to grow foxtail millet crop. As the land situated near the forested area, the need for chemical fertilizer was minimal and they made use of organic manure like handikat/bijamrut to increase the crop yield. By this process Deokumar was able to get 5 quintals of foxtail crop from the 2 acres of land. He did not face any difficulty in finding the market to sell the produce as the nearest farmers producers company organized a camp in sunabeda area to buy those millets from the farmers directly. She got rupees 25000/- by selling 5 quintals of foxtail as the price is rupees 5000/- per quinatal. As the organic manure cost was very minimal, she got a net benefit of rupees of rupees 24500/- from her 2 acres of land during this rabi season. With success of getting some net profit through foxtail millet with active support of the PD, ATMA, NUAPADA and from CPSW-KENDUBHATA, the family is very receptive the new farm ideas of millet farming and decides to grow millets in both rabi and kharif season to increase their income.