Supernaam farmer benefits from NAREI shade house experiment

Mar 26, 2018 News

Hansraj is one of the many farmers, who has benefitted first-hand from demonstration farms set up by the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).
Last year, Hansraj allowed NAREI to erect a shade house to grow bell sweet peppers for demonstration purposes.
Hansraj, whose farm is located three miles from Supernaam, was thankful for the opportunity. He usually plants sweet and hot peppers, boulanger, and bora among others in open field.
The initiative saw NAREI and Hansraj partnering to grow 108 bell sweet peppers plants. Hansraj tended to the crop while NAREI’s Extension Officers collected data, provided technical advice and hosted demonstration exercises, benefiting other farmers.
“I harvested 230 pounds of bell sweet peppers which I sold to my customers…I was pleased with the crop…The shade house did exactly what the officers said would happen…I had less weed and the crop come good,” he said.
In 2016, NAREI fully launched a programme to establish demonstration plots/ farms in farming communities in all 10 Regions.
According to Dr. Oudho Homenauth, CEO of NAREI, demonstration plots allow the transfer of technologies that were developed from research activities to enhance production and productivity so that the farming communities can get maximum benefits from their investments.
He noted that NAREI’s Extension personnel are primarily responsible for working with farmers, who are willing to participate and regard farming as a business.
Dr. Homenauth emphasised that the projects are chosen based on the specific needs of the areas. Sometimes they are implemented based on special requests by farmers’ or farmers’ groups.
He noted that many projects have proven to be successful especially those related to shades cultivation and the introduction of new crop types for which markets exist.
“We are made aware of these based on feedback as well as the number of farmers adopting the practices,” he said.
He noted that this year NAREI will be continuing its partnership with Hansraj. The institute will be planting tomatoes and broccoli using the shade house on his farm.

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