PATA Method
The emphasis of this activity is to revive mixed cropping pattern by cultivating legumes, cereals & green vegetables together in a row in the farm in order to stabilize the traditional & important method of Pata sowing. The farmers are readopting Pata method for availing vegetables & legumes in mid rainy season & early winter when the prices of vegetables remain high. The objective behind continuing supply of seed is for reaching out to more & more farmers in the region.
The activity of revival of Pata method is being run by Dilasa aimed at reaching more & more farmers in the region. Very few farmers were practicing cultivation of vegetable especially in rainy season in ancient times. There was no other source of vegetables for rain-fed farmers & general public than to purchase it from market. Almost entire farmers were practicing Pata method to make available the fresh & nutritive vegetables during rainy season. Since the introduction of green revolution, the farmers began to grow only cash crops & diverted their attention from the benefits of legumes, green & leafy vegetables grown through Pata. Dilasa is continually practicing providing Pata seeds to the farmers in some blocks of Yavatmal, Amravati, Nanded, Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur & Wardha districts as below. Twenty one networking organizations from the region have participated in this activity supported by Caring friends, Mumbai. Dilasa has reached to more than two lacks farmers from seven districts of Vidarbha & Marathwada regions of the State.