Roop Singh is pleased about the new development in his village Rampur in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. Yesterday, on September 29, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra set up a farmers’ library in the village which is well stocked with books related to farming.
The farmers’ library has created a happy buzz in Rampur. It has books on paddy, wheat and vegetable cultivation that the farmers can refer to at the library itself or else, take them home to read at leisure.
“Not all of us are very well educated in the village and not all of us own smartphones. But many of us have studied till the tenth or twelfth and reading up on farming related issues from books is a welcome change,” the 36-year-old farmer told Gaon Connection.
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“There are so many useful journals and books on different aspects of agriculture, cattle breeding, etc., that are being published these days that can be of invaluable help to farmers,” SP Singh, principal scientist and head of the Krishi Vigyan Centre, Shivpuri, told Gaon Connection.
“Information passed through social media and WhatsApp is quickly forgotten. The farmers can refer to books in the library that are always available to them anytime,” he added. The principal scientist hoped the library would get farmers to start referring to books for reliable and exhaustive information.
Farmers are showing a keen interest in the library. “It is a simple and and easily accessible way for farmers and anyone else associated with farming to find answers to their questions in the books and journals,” said Roop Singh who owns 10 bighas of land and grows paddy and soybean. He plans to shortly sow tomatoes.
“For example, I will get information in the library about how to keep pests away from my tomato crop,” he added.
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“All agriculture related publications by the government, as well as books and journals on farming practices from abroad, are being made available to the farmers here. They can refer to the books and benefit from them,” MK Bhargav, senior scientist, who is in-charge of the library, told Gaon Connection. “We will keep updating the collection of books on farming,” he added.
The Shivpuri farmers’ library will soon be replicated in other blocks of the district so that the farmers can have access to a wealth of information and knowledge right at their doorstep.
Read the story in Hindi
