KVK Burdwan has been operational since one and half year only and it started fully functioning after joining of Programme Coordinator in April, 2007. Time is not adequate enough to have significant success stories and impacts for the KVK. Still KVK has put some bold and sincere steps forward to achieve success in imminent future, couple of which are worthy of mentioning.

KETEN, the adopted village by KVK, is one village with fairly diverse agro-ecology from medium upland to lowland and soil type from sandy to sandy loam to clay loam. Not surprising the village has a moderately diverse crop span from cereals to oilseeds and pulses to vegetables with a tinge of floriculture as well. KVK explored the possibilities of further diversification by introducing new crops like jute in pre kharif season when much of the medium upland with sandy to sandy loam soil remains fallow. Since jute was an alien crop for the farmers of the village, they were first motivated towards it’s cultivation through mass awareness camps, group meetings, farmers’ tour to Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres and training. Farmers were then selected for frontline demonstration. Barring few cases most of the farmers generated good earnings in the range of Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per bigha by selling of jute fibre, price of which is relatively high as compared to the conventional jute growing areas like Nadia and Murshidabad.

Besides, farmers were shown the way of utilizing the jute fibre in another possible way – this time through entrepreneurship development for rural women. Selected farm women and school dropout girls were thoroughly trained in a 7 day workshop by KVK for preparation of jute handicrafts from fibre. After completion of the training 2 Mahila Mandals were formed and two members of the groups namely Namita Lohar and Tanushree Majhi mastered the skills so well that they started preparing crafts like jute bags, pen stands and other ornamental items themselves. The crafts were marketed in the gramin melas, women fairs and they earned incomes of Rs. 1400 and Rs. 1800 respectively till date, thereby ensuring grater livelihood security for their families.