By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Memeorandum of understanding (MOU) signed recently between Odisha’s Waldenwoods Eco Village (WEV) and Andhra Pradesh’s Sir Arthur Cotton Nursery farmers Association( SACNFA) and Kadiam Nursery Farmers Producers Association( KNFPA) to herald a nursery revolution in Odisha. WEV’s Founder Renowned Environmentalist and President of Rotary Club ECO, of Bhubaneswar Ram Krishna Dash signed the agreement with the Nurseryman of Andhra Pradesh and President of SACNFA and KNFPA Pulla Satyadeva for the adoption of World famous Kadiam village model at Waldenwoods Eco Village for the growth of varieties of nurseries. Apart from procuring saplings and trees from Kadiam in a discounted price the MOU mandates WEV to learn and replicate the financial blueprint, market connectivity and management mechanism of Kadiam in Odisha.
The Kadiam Nursery will also provide logistics support, impart training and share technical knowledge with WEV, which will necessitate its staffs to visit Odisha and WEV’s personnel to pay study cum training and exposure tours to Kadiam on regular basis. After signing the agreement, the India Icon award winner for Best Eco village of the Country, Shri Dash declared that, we are committed to motivate, involve and inspire general public, entrepreneurs, nature lovers, environmentalists, farmers, agriculturists and forward thinkers to adopt this kind of super successful model for sustainable rural development and environment protection in Odisha.
Fondly nicknamed by local residents as Chantiya Garu, Pulla Satyadeva has the honour and credit of establishing World’s one of the largest Nursery complex in Kadiam being inspired by Sir Arthur Cotton, who pioneered green Revolution in Godavari valley. The Nurseries include plants and trees of all sizes, flashy, signages and saplings having rate chart varying from a single rupee to expensive bonsai categories costing around whopping millions of rupees per tree. The complex sends plants around 250 truckloads per day in peak season to all nooks and corners of India and for shipping overseas.
Established in the year 2005 the Waldenwoods Eco village is spread over around 300 Acres of Green patch in the foothills of Kapilash about Sixty KM away from Bhubaneswar. The WEV is envisaging to build up the largest Nursery Hub in Odisha with the technical help from Kadiam complex. By virtue of the availability of natural surroundings, lining of woods, fertile land, flora and fauna, WEV is well suited to grow up the proposed Nursery to a State of the art category.
Underlining the fact that Odisha is the second largest water available state in the Country and having Ten Agro climatic zone the Managing Trustee of WEV RamKrishna Dash claimed that the partnering with Kadiam complex has been based on realistic approach as well as pragmatic and practical ground realities. Shri Dash exudes confidence that the MOU will prove amply beneficial for Odisha and is destined to bring a sea change in the nursery map of the state.
The team accompanied Ram Krishna Dash to Andhra Pradesh include co – founder of WEV Dillip Swain, Agriculturist Biraj Kanta Behera, Logistics Manager Manoj Mohanty, Techie Amaresh Mohanty and General Manager of WEV Basant Kumar Khuntia. During their week long stay at Rajahmundry, the team visited over 100 nurseries spreading over 35000 acres in Kadiampula, Kadiam, vemagiri and Rajahmundry areas for plant selection, grading, scrutiny and procurement of saplings and full grown trees.
